Dragonborn
by Thorongil82
Summary: Hiccup left before his trial could commence, choosing to fight the Red Death alone to protect Berk. Now, eight years after, a new threat towards Berk. A group of eight travel to Berk in order to stop this threat. But can they succeed? (This was originally done by Incinerator1, but they discontinued it. I was given permission to take over.)
1. Disappearance

**A/N: Okay, so for those of you that don't know me, I am Thorongil82, Rider of the Shock Fury Storm, Guardian of Wisdom, Epic Archer and Sorcerer, member of the G.M.A.D. For those of you who do know me, I am still Thorongil82, Rider of the Shock Fury Storm, Guardian of Wisdom, Epic Archer and Sorcerer, member of the G.M.A.D. (gods, I've always liked doing that since I heard my dad say it) **

**As you can tell, this story will have nothing to do with the G.M.A.D., it is in fact a new story for me. ****_Well ..._**** I say new. This was actually done first by Incinerator1, before they abruptly and, dare I say, annoyingly discontinued it with a, shall we say, inexplicable excuse and made a rewrite which, I believe, nowhere nearly meets the standard set by this version. Fortunately, with their permission, I have been allowed to take their original version over and I hope to do it the justice it deserves. And yes, I do know it is somewhat controversial to take a shot at the person that is letting you use their idea, but I just needed to get that off my mind.**

**I'm fairly certain that most of you will be thinking that this has something to do with Skyrim, I'll tell you all know that you would be wrong. **

**So, the first eight chapters are going to be so very similar to Incinerator's version, with some added parts and a lot of rephrasing to suit my style.**

**Now, without further ado, here is the first chapter.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon, the characters associated with the franchise. Those are the property of DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell. I also do not own the OC's or the story itself, that honour goes to Incinerator1.**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Disappearance.**

"HICCUP! HICCUP!"

If you were to be on the island of Berk at this moment, an island filled with some of the strongest, toughest and stubbornest Vikings of their age, then you would be able to hear this scream across the entire village. Everything in Berk would be normal, a typical day for the inhabitants, if it wasn't for the constant raids from the Dragons that live on an island hidden by the thick fog of Helheim's Gate.

The other peculiarity was that today was the final exam for the winner of this year's Dragon Training, which would be starring the Chief's son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. The fact that his performance against the dragons spiralled to unbelievable heights, ending up with him being chosen to fight the Monstrous Nightmare, had shocked the entire village. Especially a young, beautiful, but currently angry, blonde haired girl who is currently searching the village for the seemingly missing boy.

"HICCUP!" the blonde girl, Astrid, screamed again, storming up the hill to the house of one of the greatest chiefs in Berk's history, Stoick the Vast.

"HICCUP! IF YOU DON'T GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW, I WILL BREAK THIS DOOR DOWN AND DRAG YOU DOWN TO THE ARENA BY YOUR EAR!" threatened the obviously pissed off Astrid. She still hadn't gotten over her frustration of Hiccup beating her in Dragon Training.

After a moment of silence, Astrid yells at the boy thought to be hiding in the house.

"HURRY UP! THE WHOLE VILLAGE HAS BEEN WAITING THE LAST TWO HOURS FOR YOU TO TURN UP!" she yells, waiting for a response. When there is none, she screams out loud in frustration.

"HURRY UP AND GET DOWN THERE SO YOU CAN KILL THAT ACCURSED DRAGON FOR YOUR INNITIATION!"

When another fairly long silence spans after her rant, she stomps up and, with lots of strength for someone her age, kicks open the door. In her rage the thought that it was the chief's house that she was forcing her way into didn't cross her mind.

"Hiccup?!" she cries as she strides into the empty living room, the fire pit in the centre cold and unlit.

After looking under and behind all the furniture and in all the nooks and crannies downstairs, Astrid convinced herself that the auburn haired boy wasn't downstairs and walked up the steps, making her way to his room.

'_Where else could he be hiding?_' she thought to herself.

Reaching his bedroom door, she proceeded to the same approach that she took with the front door. She gave a mighty kick and stormed into the room, only to find it devoid of any presence of Hiccup.

"Hiccup? Where are you?" she asks to the empty room.

Scanning around for any sign of where he could've gone, her eyes fall upon his work desk. The top of the desk and the wall above was cluttered with lots of sketches of inventions, built and unbuilt, people and dragons. Most of the dragon sketches were of a type that she couldn't recognise.

'_Wow. Hiccup can really draw,_' she realises as her gaze lingers on each parchment.

One of the sketches catches her eyes, which she picks up curiously. She takes a small gasp as she recognises that the drawing is of her, looking incredibly stunning. Her features are drawn to perfection, eyes sparkling and a captivating smile gracing her face. In the bottom corner in what Astrid recognises is Hiccup's handwriting is, _Astrid, a true Valkyrie._

"Hiccup …" she whispers, unsure of what this means.

Putting the drawing down carefully, her attention is then grasped by the folded piece of parchment next to a closed notebook.

'_What's this?'_ she wonders as she looks at the name on top of the parchment.

'_This is addressed to Stoick … Wait! This … this is from Hiccup!'_

Astrid hastily unfolds the paper and begins reading the revealed-to-be letter from Hiccup, concern and worry taking the place of the anger she was feeling moments before.

_Dear Dad,_

_If you have seen this, then you have noticed that I am missing. By the time you have read this, I will be long gone. Please listen to my plea, do not search for me. I have gone on my own to the nest on Dragon Island._

"Hiccup is on Dragon Island?!"Astrid exclaims, full of fear for Hiccup. Through her shock and fear for the one she hated just yesterday, she continues reading.

_Well … not alone. Just listen to my explanation, every ounce of it is true. No matter how shocked, angry or however else you feel as you read this, please don't stop reading until you reach the end. 'Why have I left?' you may be wondering. Do you still remember that night when I claimed to have shot down a Night Fury? Well, I found that same Night Fury tangled up in the bola that I shot at him, deep in the forest. Yes, I, Hiccup the Useless, the Failure, the Disappointment, was the first Viking in history to bring down a Night Fury._

"What?! Hiccup actually shot down the Night Fury?!" Astrid exclaims, completely awe-struck with his accomplishment. Her expression drops to sadness as she remembers everyone's reaction.

"No one believed him, not a single person," she sighs sadly. "Oh, Hiccup … I'm sorry for not believing you. You're not any of those things …"

Again, with the mixture of shock, fear and now awe, she continues reading.

_I looked on the body of the Night Fury and looked over his face, comprehending what I had done. Suddenly, his eyes shot open, looking at me and struggling slightly against the ropes. I was scared and did what any sensible Viking would do, I grabbed my dagger and prepared to cut out the dragon's heart and present it to you, showing everyone that I was a dragon slayer like all of you. But just as I was about to perform the deed, I looked into his eyes. He was scared, just like I was. You could see the intense fear with the unavoidable death standing in front of him, in my form. I looked at him and I saw myself. So I did what any insane Viking would do. I cut him loose._

_When he was freed he pounced on me, pinning me to the ground. I then felt like MY imminent death was upon me, until he screeched at me and let me go. After the first training session, I followed where he went and found him stuck in a cove. 'How was he stuck?' you must be wondering. He couldn't get out because, as I soon found out, his left tailfin had been shot off by my bola, rendering him unable to fly. It was then that he noticed me._

_After that encounter, I started to gain the dragon's trust, eventually naming him Toothless, on account of him having no teeth when I first got a good look at it. If you must know, he has retractable teeth. I then started spending more time with him, also making a tailfin so he could fly and a saddle so that I could ride him. After a few failed unsuccessful attempts, we managed to get airborne, with me on his back on account that someone needed to be controlling the tailfin that I had made so that flight could be achieved. By spending time with Toothless I was able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the dragons, which I was able to test in Dragon Training. All the new information that I was able to find out is written in the notebook next to this letter, the pressure point under their necks, their unexplainable attraction to the sun's light reflected off of metal, a plant that sends them into a soothing peace which I have named 'Dragon Nip', and their natural fear of eels. I hope that you use this information wisely and not for the destruction of the dragons._

"Why would you give us this information if you don't want it to be used?" Astrid asked, though more to voice her question than anything else.

_Although there are many tradition-defying, and I will admit, somewhat treacherous to you all, acts that are listed here, none of them are the reason that I have left. During one of my flights on Toothless, he started acting weird before, without warning, flying into the depths of Helheim's Gate. As the mist engulfed us, I noticed that there were other dragons flying towards the same location, Dragon Island. I first thought that they were bringing together their entire kill to feast upon, until they started to dump it all down into a large, deep, smoky hole lit eerily by the magma below. I was discombobulated by this strange act. That is, until a Gronckle offered up a miniscule fish that it regurgitated. After hearing the fish hit the bottom of the pit, a loud growl emanated from the abyss. Before I knew it, a gargantuan dragon head lunged forth from the smoke and ate the Gronckle whole, one single bite. I was shocked, until it noticed me, then I feared for our lives. It was a narrow escape, but we managed to get free. When we landed in the cove, I realised that the dragons don't attack us willingly; they are forced to by this monster. They are not what we think they are._

_So I have gone to fight the giant dragon, in which I may never return. Do not follow me. The usual methods we have will not work against this one. If anything should happen to me, then Dad, despite the arguments and disagreements we have, you are the best and I love you. Gobber, I hid your beer drinking hand under your bed, thank you for being there for me. And, Astrid … I love you._

_Hiccup_

Astrid has never been as shocked in her entire life combined than she does right now.

"H-H … He loves me?!" Astrid gasps, staggering back a couple of steps and tripping onto Hiccup's bed. Her heart feels like a thousand knives are tearing at it, tears forming in her eyes.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the tears threatening her eyes, she quickly refolds the note up. Grabbing the notebook Hiccup has provided, she rushes back to the arena, pushing her way through the crowd of Vikings to reach Stoick, the news of his son's disappearance weighing heavy on her heart.

"Where is my son?!" he bellows at the crowd, not noticing Astrid's return.

"I … I think he's on Dragon Island," Astrid timidly replied, feeling scared and sad with her eyes glistening with tears.

"What?" Stoick exclaims hoarsely, his strong voice failing him.

"He … he left th-this," Astrid says, handing the letter and notebook to the chief as she struggles to keep it together. Her own voice is threatening to break on her.

Stoick snatches both items from her, opening the letter as he starts to read Hiccup's account. Many emotions can be seen flickering across his face. Confusion, shock, joy, disbelief, anger, fear, sadness, all these show on his usually stern but warm face, most more than once. When he is finished, the note falls limply to his side, and all he can feel is sadness and fear for his son.

"What is it, Stoick?" Gobber asks, concerned about what could have gotten the incredibly, well … stoic, man to go into a massive slump.

"He's gone," Stoick whispers hoarsely, tears springing to his eyes as he falls to his knees. "Hiccup is gone."

His declaration travels across the crowd in a wave, passed on by those who had managed to hear the distraught chief. Soon the entire village knew of Hiccup's disappearance and were saddened by the loss, none more so than Astrid and Stoick.

* * *

_Dragon Island: Battle of Hiccup and Toothless vs The Red Death_

Hiccup and Toothless slice through the air like a knife, the Red Death following closely behind with small holes in its wings from Toothless' plasma blasts.

"Wait for it …" Hiccup says as he and Toothless hurtle towards the ground, the Red Death snapping at the Night Fury's tail.

"Wait for it …" he says again, closing his eyes as the Red Death opens its mouth, the gases building up in the insides of the dragon. Hiccup listens to the sound of the building gas, waiting for the opportune moment.

"NOW!" he shouts, flipping Toothless over so they both could face the gargantuan dragon.

The Red Death widens its mouth, ready to ignite the gas. Just before it can, Toothless quickly fires a plasma blast into its mouth. The Red Death swallows the powerful shot, the flame igniting the gases within, creating a sudden inferno inside the dragon. Hiccup and Toothless flip around again before pulling out of the descent of the massive dragon. The Red Death slams into the base of the volcano, creating a giant, intense explosion. Hiccup and Toothless zigzag between the spikes of the giant, the burnt artificial fin flapping uselessly with each swerve. It comes loose just as the large bludgeon-like tail looms above the duo.

"No … No!" Hiccup cries as they collide with the weapon, knocking Hiccup unconscious and sending him out of his saddle. Toothless roars in desperation as he loses control, before righting himself and flapping after his rider, his best friend.

Both fall towards the ground, becoming engulfed in the inferno rising from the exploding dragon.

* * *

**A/N: It's an exploding inplosion! (If anyone gets that reference then you will receive a years supply of internet cookies) What will happen? You'll have to stick around to find out.**

**Now, if you don't know, I do have another story called 'HTTYD: Watching the Movie'. It is, as the name suggests, a 'Watching the Movie' fic, however there is a narrative aspect to it as well as I am using the rarely used distortion plot in these sorts of fics to set up a G.M.A.D. story, or even a series. Depends on how well it is received. It will give you all a fair idea as to how I like to write, so feel free to check it out. And for those that are patiently, or impatiently, waiting for the next chapter of that story, I am currently working on it now. It will hopefully be up soon. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few days. I will not set a specific time as the last time I did that, I was behind by a week.**

**I am also a beta-reader and am currently helping three writers, Half-Blood Hades (The Loss Of A World), finalhour300 (Soulless Knight) and The Writer Es (A Different Path). Feel free to check them out, and also let me know if you would like my help.**

**Please review and favourite the story if you like it, constructive criticism is most welcome. Though I certainly hope that you all know the difference between constructive criticism and flames. I certainly do.**

**Next chapter: Return**

**Until next time,**

**Thor.**


	2. Return

**A/N: Sorry, I wanted to get this up a bit sooner, but complications arose around the G.M.A.D., as I'm sure a few of you know. I'll talk about that at the end, though, as I do have a bone to pick with a couple of people.**

**On a brighter note, thank you all for the warm response to the first chapter. 12 reviews, 33 favs and 47 followers all on the first chapter. It makes me happy that even a year after it was originally started by Incinerator1, it can still be brought back and receive such a big 'welcome back'. Though no one got the reference I made in the end of chapter AN, so no cookies for anyone unfortunately. If you want to know what the reference was, just PM me or leave a comment in the reviews and I'll get back to you.**

**I forgot to mention this last time, but the last chapter was set as if the teens were 14, so with any long time skips, that is the point they are going from in case you get confused.**

**If you are wondering, yes I am still working on 'HTTYD: Watching The Movie', though due to the situation within the G.M.A.D. sparked by a few ... cowardly ... people on the outside, I will be a bit more cautious with the updates for that. This is because, I think, that the way I'm writing it could make it be interpreted to be along the lines that these few don't think should be on this site. That doesn't mean I'm discontinuing it, it just means that uploads for that will be a bit longer apart.**

**Anything else I have to say can wait until the end, so apart from the next line and the disclaimer, I'll leave you all to the chapter.**

**Please make sure you review and fav if you haven't. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon and the characters associated with the franchise. They belong to DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell. I also don't own the main OC's in this, that honour goes to Incinerator1.**_

**Here you all go, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Return.**

_Veil of Helheim's Gate. Eight years after Hiccup's disappearance._

A beautiful day shines out over the Archipelago. White, fluffy clouds float lazily over the peaceful seas, nothing wrong with the world. That is, until eight dragons spew forth from the thick, visually impenetrable foggy wall of Helheim's Gate. If anyone were to be able to see the sight, they would think that they were dreaming.

Of the eight dragons, seven were flying in a V-formation. Bringing up the rear was a large forest green Gronckle and a greenish-blue Zippleback with black flaming designs and orange outlines. Clinging to the top of the Gronckle is a small sky blue Terrible Terror. In front of them are a Nadder and a Monstrous Nightmare, side by side. The Nadder had a wildish look to it, though it seemed like almost every other Nadder seen. The main difference is that the horns on top of her head were curved backwards and could be fired out, acting like a boomerang. The Nightmare was huge, matching a Timberjack in size and probably could've passed for one too. The skin was an intense bright red and he little curved claws on the wings.

As amazing as the sight of the five dragons at the rear of the formation was, none of it compared to the absolute rarity in front of them. Leading the V-formation were three Night Furies. The left one looked like a battle veteran, one who had seen and engaged in conflict his whole life. Scars scattered his entire body and the wings were fairly tattered, holes and slashes punctuating both wings. It is surprising that he could still fly. On his head was a large silver scar running from the back of the neck, through his right eye and down to the bottom of his lip (no, it's not me). The Fury on the right was a bit slender then the normal Night Fury and had a distinctly crescent moon shaped birthmark on the middle of her head, coloured silver like the previous Night Fury. The third lead the group at the apex, guiding the group along their journey. It looked just like your average Night Fury, except for the fact that it had an artificial left tailfin, the real one having been taken off.

"_Are we there yet?" _asked the Terror, obviously in Dragonese, getting bored and antsy over the length of the trip.

"_For the tenth time, we get there when we get there!" growled the annoyed Gronckle carrying him._

_"Come on, Bomber. Don't be so hard on Terry," _replied the left head of the Zippleback.

"_Well, you don't have a chatterbox riding on your back now, do you, Spitshot?" _retorted the Gronckle, Bomber, with a greatly increased annoyance shown on his face.

"_I'm not a chatterbox!"_ whined Terry, the Terror.

"_Speak for yourself. I'm attached to a chatterbox,"_ the right head of the Zippleback sarcastically replied, ignoring Terry's complaint.

The remark was met by a head-butt from the left head, Spitshot, before his annoyed comeback.

"_At least I don't look as ugly as you, Spitfire."_

_"Uh, we're twins, dimwit!"_

_"Big fail there, Spitshot,"_ remarked Bomber.

The argument escalated quickly between the three, with the occasional remark from Terry. After a few minutes of the louder, constant bickering, the Nadder became greatly annoyed.

"_Ugh, will you lot shut up back there?!"_ she snaps, her words falling on deaf ears.

"_Hey Natalie, I'll shut them up for you,"_ flirted the Nightmare to Natalie, the Nadder, before flying towards the argument.

Upon seeing the Nightmare arrive, the others instantly added him to the quibble.

_"Hey, Draco. Tell these idiots that I'm the smart one,"_ Spitfire says.

"_In your dreams, Spitfire," _Spitshot replies.

_"Hey guys, knock it off. Natalie's getting really annoyed," _Draco, the Nightmare, commands.

_"Ooh, look who's trying to impress the girl," _Bomber chortled teasingly.

"_Shut up!" _ Draco yells, completely embarrassed. If he was a human, he would be blushing furiously. In frustration he slams Bomber with his tail, which sparks Bomber to ram into him. The force sends Draco flying back, hitting Spitshot.

"_Hey!" _Spitshot yells, hitting Spitfire, her brother. Spitfire head-butted back, knocking Spitshot into Draco and starting the conflict all over again.

Before it could escalate to out of control proportions, the quarrelling reached the ears of the Night Furies, sparking a reaction from the heavily scarred one. He let out a loud angry roar, releasing his frustration in one powerful blast, causing the fight to stop midway.

_"What do you lot think you're doing?! Get back in formation!"_ roared the Night Fury in … well … fury.

"_Yes, Thane," _the dragons replied simultaneously, falling back into their positions.

_"Come on, Thane. Calm down," _soothed the slender Night Fury.

The heavily scarred one, Thane, took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"_Fine, Catherine. But next time, they won't be so lucky," _Thane said.

_"Yes. Yes they will," _replied Catherine, the slender Fury.

"_However, their argument did bring up a fair point," _Thane pointed out, addressing the lead Night Fury. _"How far away are we, Hiccup?"_

_"Don't worry. We'll be there soon," _replied Hiccup as they flew as fast as they could in the direction of the closest Viking inhabited island.

_'After all these years, I am finally going home,' _thought Hiccup as they neared the shores of the island. _'I finally get to return to Berk.'_

* * *

_Berk, Present Time._

Eight years after Hiccup's disappearance and Berk is relatively unchanged. The village still had the same layout, same design. Though the raids had become almost non-existent, there were still the occasional burnt down and rebuilt house. The Vikings attitude towards dragons still hadn't changed and their hatred still burnt true, though dragon training had changed a bit over the years. Since the raids grew less and less, they needed to make the dragons last longer in the arena, lest they not be able to capture a replacement.

Overall, eight years and hardly any change … that is, unless you were Stoick the Vast and Astrid Hofferson, who felt the days go by like eternity.

Hiccup's 'suicide mission' had taken its toll on Stoick. He was never the same, having already lost his wife, Valka. Now that Hiccup was gone, he felt like an empty shell, devoid of any warm feelings. He still performed his chiefly duties, but the spark was gone from his eyes. Gone was the hearty, strong-willed, powerful man that was Stoick the Vast, replaced by the sad, heartless shell that he had become. Allowed to grieve for a bit, he would return to his responsibilities. However, he would leave the village mysteriously every month, disappearing for two days before returning on the third, looking more downcast than ever. None of the villagers knew where he went, except Gobber who was the only one who seemingly could get some sort of glimpse of the former chief. Stoick would travel a cave on the opposite side of the island, where no one could hear him cry. There he would weep for his lost son, reading the letter Hiccup left behind, before sobbing even more.

Great as the grief of the village once was and the depression of Stoick, no one was more affected by the loss than Astrid Hofferson. She was never the same, losing the fire that made her who she was. When Dragon Training came around again, she never could compete with the same grim determination she showed when Hiccup was around. Somehow, though, she still managed to be chosen for the final exam thanks to the clumsiness of the other teens. They all took part again because there was no initiation the year Hiccup disappeared in his honour. She barely passed her initiation, almost getting killed in the process. As the years went by, she spent less time with her friends and training herself, instead staying in her room and crying her heart out over Hiccup. The last words he said to her played over and over in her head, '_Astrid … I love you,'_ etched into her mind.

Even in sleep she couldn't get a rest, crying herself to sleep before seeing her dreams. Hiccup was there, in almost every one. She would either dream peacefully, Hiccup holding her and telling her over and over the he loved her as they sat down in various beautiful environments, embracing and occasionally kissing each other, or she would have nightmares, viewing Hiccup as he would die over and over again, sometimes quick and precise, other times slow and painful, his tortured cries of pain breaking Astrid apart. Each time she could only watch on as he was slaughtered time after time, unable to do anything to save him no matter hard she tried. Whenever it happened she would wake up screaming, only to find herself in her room. She would then pour her heart out, the pain too much to handle, curling up into a ball and rocking herself to try and fall back asleep, though more often than not she would stay awake to not go through the suffering again. The nightmares had come at the beginning, their frequency far outnumbering the opposite.

What the villagers found three days after Hiccup's disappearance did nothing to help either of their depressive states.

* * *

_Flashback: Berk, Three Days After Hiccup's Disappearance._

_A cloudy, windy day took the place of the third day. Many people, though working on their jobs, would keep an eye on the horizon, searching for any sign that Hiccup would return to them. Stoick would glance worriedly whenever he could, his thoughts focusing on how he had treated his son over the years. That was the thought that had crossed all their minds and they all felt guilty for how they had shoved Hiccup aside. Astrid had been seen spending her waking hours sitting on a cliff on the edge of the village, gazing out towards Helheim's Gate with worry and fear in her eyes. She would sit there all day, either staring out to sea or occasionally sharpening her axe with a whetstone, never moving except to go and eat, which at times she had to be forced to do so. Sometimes the other teens would sit next to or near her, Fishlegs the most. He always had this sort of acceptance for Hiccup, and as such generally left him alone._

_It was during the gale-fuelled afternoon that a Viking chose to take a walk along the shores of Berk. What he found along the beaches shook him to his core as he ran as fast as he could to the village. Upon finding Stoick, he hastily gave a huffed account of what he had seen. With a strange and concerned look on his face, Stoick made his way down to the beaches, the rest of the village in tow. A massive wave of shock struck the village at the sight before them. Lying on the sand was the charred carcass of a gargantuan dragon, the largest they had ever seen. Originally a trickle of hope could be felt, as they all knew that this sign meant Hiccup had succeeded, but before they could begin celebrating a closer examination of the body brought them tumbling back down to the ground. Lying next to the carcass was a leather saddle and a slightly burnt, brown fur vest. Stoick's heart broke at the discovery as he dropped to his knees and wept in front of everyone. Astrid was shedding tears too, though she tried her best to hide them, only small teardrops trickled down her cheeks. When she was alone in her room, she let them flow freely when the realization finally hit her completely. _

* * *

_Berk, Present Day, The Cove, Early Afternoon._

_"Oh, ground! How I've missed you!"_ Terry proclaimed as he proceeded to kiss, or the dragon equivalent of it, the ground upon touching down.

_"Well, here we are,"_ Hiccup mentioned as he gestures to the rocky walls surrounding them. _"This is Berk."_

_"Good, now let's get out of our dragon forms,"_ Thane says. _"Someone might pass and I don't think dragons are a welcome sight here."_

_"Yes, Thane," _everyone replies in unison.

The dragons surround themselves in a fierce swirling wall of fire, a different colour for each dragon. When the fire was extinguished, nine humans stood in the place where the dragons were moments before.

"Ah, it's good to walk on two legs again," sighed Bomber in Norse as he stretched his arms towards the sky.

In his human form, Bomber would be one of the largest people you had ever seen. Towering at six foot six, his upper body was completely covered in bulging muscles, to the point that he could crush stone with his bare hands. His legs were thick and long. He had a square jaw and his hair was buzzed, usually with a kind smiling expression across his face, like right now.

"Finally! In my own body!" Spitshot and Spitfire exclaimed at the same time.

Spitshot and Spitfire were almost identical, the main difference being that they are opposite genders. Spitshot was the girl and had short straight blonde hair, while Spitfire, the boy, had medium-length spiky blond hair. Apart from that, they were the same. They wore the same outer garments, quite short and a mischievous look. Everyone knew that if they couldn't see them for too long, you would be likely to have a firecracker in your pants or be missing your money. They were also expert bomb-makers, as seen by the ring of bombs hanging of their waists.

"I can feel my legs!" cried a relieved Terry.

Terry was the youngest of the group at age 6 and was also quite small for someone his age. He looked like a younger version of Hiccup, hence him being dubbed 'Hiccup II'. He had a messy brown mop of hair and freckles scattering his face. Strapped across his back is a staff with a large ring at one end, with more rings circling around it (just think of the solar system). Tied to his waist were pouches containing magical materials and herbs.

"Speak for yourself, Terry. My legs always feel like my arms in Nadder form. It's really uncomfortable," complained Natalie, rubbing her legs to get the feeling back.

Natalie looked like the female version of Tarzan, just with more clothing, a true wild girl. Co-incidentally, she was also found in a forest, but that is another story. She had long flowing brown hair that reached her hips and well-tanned skin. Around her neck was a necklace decorated with the teeth of many different predators and strapped to her back was a long, pitch-black spear, the only lightly coloured part was the silver edge of the spearhead.

"All your problems are nothing compared to mine. I could barely see my biceps," Draco said as he flexed and admired his muscles.

Draco had a similar body build to Bomber's, just that instead of being a towering figure, he was fairly stout, only reaching five foot four. Along with his ripped muscles, he also had black hair that reached the bottom of his neck. Because of this, many girls would fall for him at first sight. The problem was that his ego was the size of the Red Death, scaring or disgusting those that liked him. This was proven because he would constantly brag about his achievements to Natalie. To make matters worse, the hammer and shield on his back were enchanted so that they would keep tally of how many enemies he had defeated. At the moment, they totalled 212.

"All of you get comfortable. We won't be able to transform for a while because the people here are still hostile towards dragons," ordered Catherine as she stretched herself out on the ground.

Catherine is just younger than Hiccup, aged 21. She was extremely attractive, slender and thin but very strong. Her hair was jet-black and tied up in a long ponytail. A large assortment of knives and daggers dangle from her waist and sheathed on her back is what looks like an ancient katana with a cracked skull on the hilt. In the middle of her forehead was the silver coloured crescent shaped birthmark.

"Alright everyone, let's start setting up camp," Thane ordered. "Bomber, Spitshot and Spitfire, you guys put up the tents and build a fire pit. Terry, when they are done make sure the fire is smokeless. We don't want to draw any attention at the moment. Natalie and Draco, go gather food and wood for everyone. Catherine, you go stand outside and make sure we don't get any intruders."

Obviously Thane was the heavily scarred Night Fury, which were displayed all over his body. Thane was also the leader of the small band. He was neither ripped nor scrawny, instead embracing the 'lean but mean' look. The muscles on his body were somewhat prominent and he was around six feet tall. Scars riddle his entire body, the silver scar on his face starting from his eyebrow, going through his right eye and down to his chin, making him look incredibly intimidating and ferocious. He had long, black spiky hair that stretched down to his hips and rarely ever smiled. He had four swords, two slung over his back and two on his waist. The ones on his waist were enchanted so that they could invoke the powers of thunder and lightning. (Now I know what you're thinking. No, this is not me)

"I don't want to be with Draco anymore," complained Natalie.

"Go now or you'll be sharing a tent with Draco. And I don't care what happens in there," Thane threatened, Natalie hurrying off straight away.

"What about me?" inquired Hiccup, noticing he was the only one that wasn't assigned a task.

Hiccup had changed a lot over the years. He was now 22 years old, taking the whole 'lean but mean' build into account like Thane. His hair was still the auburn messy mop it always was, but the rest of him had changed a bit, making him more handsome and tough, though he still managed to retain his signature lopsided smile. His old characteristics were still with him, though he now carried a blood red sword that hung off his waist. In connection to the colour, the sword was inscribed with the name, 'Liferend'.

"Hiccup, you get to go to the village," Thane answered.

"What?! Why?! They … they might see that I'm not dead and compromise the entire mission," exclaimed a shocked Hiccup.

"Wear this," Thane replied, holding out a black hooded cloak. Answering Hiccup's sceptical look, he continued. "This will protect your identity and it is enchanted so it won't come off. Terry calls it the 'Inviso-cloak', considering that it could render you hidden in plain sight if you wished."

Hiccup still seemed reluctant to take the cloak. Though Thane may be the emotionless and intimidating leader, he has been Hiccup's closest friends and allies. Also, he isn't one to give up easily.

"Hiccup, you haven't been here in eight years. You deserve to see everyone again," Thane said, tempting Hiccup into accepting the cloak.

Hiccup reluctantly took the cloak and put it on as he walked out of the cove, pulling the hood over his head. Walking past Catherine's guard point, he turned and walked all the way to the village.

'_Well, here goes nothing,'_ Hiccup thought as he stepped out of the tree line and into the village that is Berk.

* * *

**A/N: There you go, another cliff hanger ... sort of.**

**So you may be thinking, 'those characters are like the teens'. Well, you'd be right. Don't blame me for that if you don't like it, I'm just following Incinerator's story line until it falls off and I can fully take it into my own hands.**

**Now to the current situation. The G.M.A.D. had received word from someone called Welcome To Story Time that we were somehow causing harm in this website. After what sounds like a mostly one sided conversation, due to the fact that Night had no idea what was being said half the time, she reached the distinction that the best way for us to continue our stories was to put them on FictionPress. "What was the problem?" you may be asking. Well, it seems like she, or they, depending on if it was both twins that believed this, believed that the stories like the 'How I joined the G.M.A.D.' and other G.M.A.D. related stories shouldn't belong on this website. The 'Watching' fics weren't included in this as they focused mainly around the character reactions (apart from mine, of course. Just as much a narrative as it is a reaction thing). Though Night did make a fairly reasonable decision, she also asked me to talk with Story because she thought I could get a bit more of an understanding between us.**

**That was about 3-4 days ago, and I haven't heard anything from Story. Since then, we have had a few more people have a go at our group, apparently celebrating the decision. One person even went so far as to PM one of the members, telling her to leave and burn all her stories. You people who are doing this are just plain empty and stupid. If you don't what we do, no one is forcing you to read our stories, just don't read them in the future. No matter how it seems, this isn't over. If anyone knows Story or she/they are reading this, then Story has about a week to contact me. If not, then phase 2 comes into play. If anyone else shares their view, then you let me know. I'm the one dealing with the outsiders in this now, you speak to me. Leave the other members out of this, this is my plan. If you think these people are just plain selfish, stupid or however else you want to put it, make sure they know, and us too. I think some members need cheering up.**

**Now that that's done, and I'm sorry to all those who aren't affected by that but it needed to be said, I can speak a bit more freely. I have just spoken with Incinerator and he has just given me a fair idea of where he would've gone with this had he continued it. I will try to incorporate it as best as possible. Also, yes, Astrid and Stoick are a bit OOC, but I can live with that. It worked well the last time I did it.**

**I really don't have much to say. I've just got to release some frustrations out over my current life but I won't do that here, unless, of course, it is because of something or someone connected to this site.**

**If anyone wants any help with anything, you can always PM me. And make sure to check out 'HTTYD: Watching The Movie' too. It seems to be getting quite popular.**

**Next chapter: Reunions of a Different Kind.**

**Please make sure to review and fav if you haven't. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**Until next time ...**


	3. Reunions of a Different Kind

**A/N: Third installment is up and running.**

**What a great reception! The views basically quadrupled since the last time I uploaded. By the time that most of you read this, we will have passed 2,000 views. We also have 55 favs, 78 follows and 20 reviews. Thank you so much!**

**So most of you have been asking "Where's Toothless?" and "Why isn't Hiccup the leader of the group?" In the next few chapters, those questions should be answered, though I think you will leave with more questions than you came in with.**

**The complaints put forth by the cowardly people towards the G.M.A.D. are being dealt with, so no one needs to worry about that.**

**Also, to Angryhenry, I left you on a cliff because I can, and I can because Incinerator did.**

**This is really all I have to say, so I'll leave you all to read the chapter.**

**Please review and fav if you haven't already, constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, the characters or the settings involved within the franchise. Those are the property of DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell. I also don't own most of the OC's in the story. That honour goes to Incinerator1.**_

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Reunions of a Different Kind.**

_Village of Berk, Early Afternoon._

_'Well, here goes nothing,' _Hiccup thought as he steps out of the forest and into Berk, making sure the hood of the 'Inviso-cloak' was over his head.

From his perspective, the village was relatively the same. Eight years had passed yet, the way that everything looked, it could've been only yesterday that he left. The houses, buildings, grass, even the birds and people, seemingly the exact same. As he made his way further into the village, he could identify almost everyone he went past. The only ones he couldn't were the young children that were only babes when he left, or were born after he left. Nearly everyone gave a brief glance to the stranger before turning back to their tasks, unconcerned by the presently unknown person. They believed him to be a merchant or something of the like, regardless that there were no new ships in the port.

Suddenly, a small group consisting of three guys and a girl push past Hiccup, almost knocking him over. Without stopping to check on him, they ran off snickering and giggling. Regaining his balance, Hiccup realized as he watched their fleeing figures that they were _the_ guys, Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

Fishlegs had grown larger … in both ways. His hair was worn longer, the left side in a braid, and facial hair was starting to show in a thistly beard covering most of his lower face. His small horned helmet had been replaced with a helmet with small, metal wings on top. Also, his large fur vest now consisted of different types of fur, the lighter patches contrasting nicely against each other.

The twins had grown more pronounced, though they were still quite skinny. Tuffnut's light tunic was exchanged for a furry tunic with a leather shoulder pad, his hair now collected in extremely long dreadlocks. Ruffnut's leather tunic had been changed for a yellow, woolly equivalent, her hair extended longer with a few more braids. Both still held their mischievous looks, both sharper and somehow more mischievous.

Snotlout had changed a bit, he somehow looked more smug than ever with a bit more muscle gained. A small moustache had started to grow his hair was slicker, holding down rather than spreading out. He wore a turquoise scaled shirt with a fur cloak covering his shoulders.

Hearing a commotion coming from a nearby house, Hiccup spun around to see a large Viking stagger out, sputtering and coughing before shouting. Hiccup deduced that the guys must've placed a stink bomb in the house.

His expression becomes thoughtful as he notices something that he didn't before.

'_Huh, that's strange. Where's Astr-_'he thought before his train of thought was broken when a blonde blur slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.

"Ugh," he groans as he lies on the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Are you alright?" the blonde female quickly asks, concerned.

"Uh … yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup says as he sits upright.

Reaching up and grabbing the hand offered to him by the woman, he looks up and sees the most beautiful sight in the world, Astrid. When she helps him up to his feet, he couldn't help but stare at the love of his life.

Astrid was still as beautiful as ever. She now chose to wear a red shirt, a fur hood and new shoulder pads protecting her upper half. Her skirt now had a lot more fur, the spikes going from an irony grey to an onyx black, along with the skull belt around her waist. Her wrists also had fur covers where her arm wraps used to be.

"Oh good," she says, relieved. "I'm really sorry that I bumped into … Wait! Have we met before?" she asks, her tone becoming questioning quickly, snapping Hiccup out of his trance.

"Uhh … er … N-No, I d-don't believe w-we have," Hiccup stutters, afraid that Astrid will find out his identity.

'_Gods damn it! Eight years and I still can't talk to Astrid without stuttering,'_ Hiccup silently curses.

"I have the strangest feeling that we have met before," Astrid says, sceptical. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"Um … y-yeah, I'm sure. Oh, l-look at the time. I've g-got … uh … to run," Hiccup said quickly, eager to get away as quickly as possible, before rushing off without giving Astrid a chance to press further.

'_Huh … strange. Who was that guy?' _Astrid thought as she watches Hiccup run off. _'Why does he remind me of someone?'_

"Astrid, you better run!" Ruffnut calls out. "Old Man Mendell and his wife are closing in!"

Astrid turns to the recently stunk out house and sees the previously coughing Viking and a woman next to him focus their attention on her, marching towards her.

"Oh, shoot," Astrid says as she bolts off, the encounter with the cloaked man fully embedding itself in her mind for further pondering.

* * *

'_Whew … that was close. Thank Odin the cloak doesn't come off, otherwise we would've been doomed,'_ Hiccup thinks as he sighs in relief, taking a final glance to see Astrid running off behind the buildings in the distance.

'_It's too bad that I can't talk to Astrid, even like this … Wait! Maybe I can …'_

As Hiccup ponders his new idea, he loses focus of his surroundings and runs straight into another strange reunion, this time walking into his father.

"Whoa there, son," Stoick says as Hiccup bumps into him, sounding cheerful but with a sad smile on his face.

"Oops, sorry da- *clears throat* … I mean … Stoick," Hiccup said, almost forgetting to use his father's name. It was always awkward for Hiccup to call his dad Stoick.

When Hiccup looked up, he instantly saw just how much his father had changed. Build-wise, he hadn't changed a bit. Feature-wise though, the wrinkles on his face had grown more bountiful, and though his hair and beard still carried their red tone, they had greyed with time. He still had the loving fatherly look in his eyes, but there were large bags underneath them and his sadness could be clearly sensed from him, even beneath his cheerful attitude.

"Now, where are ya' heading off to in such a hurry?" Stoick asked, Hiccup struggling to find an appropriate answer.

"I was … uh … looking for … the … um … forge! I … heard that the … um … weapons are of high quality, and I was … hoping to buy some."

'_I really hope he buys that,'_ Hiccup prays desperately.

"Hmm … well, the forge is over there," Stoick says, pointing behind him to the left. "When you get there, ask for Gobber. He'll set you up."

"Ok, I will. Thanks, Chief," Hiccup says, hastily running off towards the direction that his father pointed.

"Wait! I didn't catch your name," Stoick calls out before Hiccup can disappear.

_'Oh no! What do I say?!' _Hiccup thought, panicking.

Without thinking twice, Hiccup said the first name that came to his mind.

"Uh … my name's … uh … Thane. Thane Nightson."

"Well, Thane, I hope you find the right weapon for you," Stoick says as he walks away slowly, leaving Hiccup to his business.

As Hiccup ran off, deciding not to visit Gobber in case his cover is blown, desperate to avoid another awkward encounter, he didn't notice the thoughtful expression on Stoick's face, nor the notion that wouldn't be shaken from the chief's mind.

'_I wonder … that man, why does he remind me of someone?'_ pondered Stoick.

* * *

_The Cove, Early Evening._

After spending the rest of the day strolling around the village, along with some more unavoidable awkward encounters, Hiccup managed to sneak back unnoticed by the Vikings to the cove. In his absence, the camp has been set up. Eight tents line the camp, each for a specific dragon breed. The camp was set into two rows with the fire pit in the centre. On the left side were the tents for Terry the Terrible Terror, Bomber the Gronckle, Draco the Nightmare, and the Night Fury Catherine. On the right were the tents for the Zippleback Spitshot and Spitfire, Natalie the Nadder, and Thane the Night Fury. In the middle of the camp, just outside the fire pit, was Hiccup's tent. It served as his sleeping quarters and the tactical room.

Each tent had their individual designs significant to the species. For the Terror, a Terrible Terror is curled up in a ball, sleeping. The Gronckle tent had a Gronckle crushing a tree with its bludgeon-like tail. The Nightmare's showed an ignited Nightmare, whilst the Zippleback had the two heads, one on each side of the tent, lighting up the gas, the resulting explosion covering the tent flaps. The Nadder's design was the spikes all over the Nadder's tail. As for the Night Furies, they all showed a Night Fury in full stretch, soaring through the air.

As Hiccup approached the centre, he noticed everyone else sitting around the fire pit, a large wild boar roasting over a smokeless blue flame that flickered mystically.

"You know this would taste better if we had some rosemary," Bomber complained as he sprinkles some spices over the boar, turning it slowly.

"Well I'm sorry, but we aren't all culinary geniuses like you, Bomber," snapped an irritated Natalie.

"Sorry, I'm just saying," Bomber replied, placing one hand up apologetically.

"Hey, look. Brother Hiccup is back!" Terry cried out in joy as he notices Hiccup, before running up to hug him.

"Hey, Terry," said Hiccup, smiling warmly as he crouches down to embrace Terry.

"You've been gone for hours, Hiccup," Spitshot observed.

"Yeah, where have you been?" Spitfire inquires.

"Let's just say that I've been strolling down memory lane," answered Hiccup with a smile.

"Why does he always have to speak in riddles?" Spitshot asked, irritated.

"I hope memory lane made you hungry, because we're having roast boar for dinner," Bomber declared, revealing the finished boar.

"I'm famished," replied Hiccup, a hand over his grumbling stomach.

* * *

_Late Night, The Cove._

After dinner, everyone immediately went to their tents, preparing for sleep. Everyone that is, except for Hiccup. He waited a couple of hours, making sure that everyone is asleep, before pulling the 'Inviso-cloak' around him and sneaking out of the cove, walking towards the village with his immense stealth prowess (yes I meant to type that). Unknown to him, someone already knew of his plan and was watching him sneak away from the shadows.

Hiccup carefully walked into the village and, after checking to make sure no one was around, climbed up the side of Astrid's house and peeped through her window. Astrid was tossing and turning in her bed, tears streaming down her face and mumbling Hiccup's name.

'_Good, she's dreaming. Now's the perfect time,' _Hiccup thinks as he gazes lovingly at the beautiful girl.

"HICCUP!" she cries, suddenly waking up from her nightmare and sitting straight up. Her tear filled eyes scoured the room, hoping without hope for a sign that the youth is there.

Hiccup had rapidly drawn his head away from the window and pressed himself flat against the roof. When Astrid lies back down and falls fearfully into sleep again, Hiccup jumps silently through her window and into her room. He then rolls up his sleeve, revealing a Night Fury tattoo wrapped around his arm. He then proceeds to whisperingly chant a spell in ancient Dragonese.

"_We formed a bond long ago,_

_To form unto one body and soul alone._

_Now I call upon to me,_

_The dragon that rests within me._

_TOOTHLESS!"_

As Toothless' name was spoken, a white mist spewed forth from his arm, covering and swirling mystically around it. The Night Fury tattoo glows, partly dispersing the mist surrounding it, revealing a miniscule Night Fury sitting in Hiccup's palm.

"_Hello, Toothless,"_ Hiccup whispers in Dragonese to the Night Fury.

"_Hey there, Hiccup! What do you need me for?"_ Toothless asks, giving his signature gummy smile.

"_Is it possible for you to put me in her dreams?" _Hiccup asks, gesturing the hand Toothless is residing on towards Astrid.

"_Ooh, trying to get some time alone with the girl, eh Hiccup?"_ Toothless teases, somehow smiling wider than he was already and a sly look in his eyes.

"_Just … can you do it or not?"_ Hiccup asks, blushing slightly at the thought of Toothless' remark.

_"Of course I can, Hiccup,"_ Toothless replies, proceeding to chanting an ancient Dragonese spell.

The white mist surrounds Hiccup, morphing him into becoming one with the mist. The veil then drifted over Astrid, who subconsciously inhaled it without noticing.

* * *

_Astrid's Dream._

Astrid's mind was blank, waiting for the seemingly endless torture to continue. It had been so long since she had been able to have a peaceful dream with Hiccup in it. So when she was transported to a fog filled cove in the middle of a forest, you can imagine her surprise.

"Hello?!" she calls out, afraid that this peaceful scenario could just be another trap, trying to sense her into a false sense of security.

"No one's here, Astrid," spoke a soft voice behind her. "It's just you and me."

Astrid spun around, only to find a figure sitting atop a boulder, still shrouded partly by the mist. She could make out the lean figure, the messy hair on top of his head and the blood red sword hanging from his hip, but no identifiable features could be seen.

"Who are you?" Astrid asks, reaching for her axe before noticing that it wasn't with her.

"Come on, Astrid. Don't tell me you've forgotten me already," said the male as the fogs dissipated around him, revealing the brown mop of hair on top and the enchanting forest green eyes. He gave her a lop-sided grin, prompting a sharp recognition from Astrid.

"Hiccup?!" asked a shocked Astrid, half expecting something to leap out of nowhere and strike him down.

"The one and only," he replied, jumping off the boulder and landing on the soft ground, spinning in a circle with his arms outstretched.

"Hiccup!" she cried, running towards him with tears of joy springing forth. She engulfed him in a huge bear hug before pulling out and giving him a powerful punch in the arm.

"Ow!" Hiccup shouted, rubbing the spot with his hand.

"That's for leaving," Astrid explained angrily, glaring at him.

"That hu-" Hiccup couldn't finish because Astrid grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into her, pressing her lips against him and engaging in a deep kiss.

"And that's for … everything else," a bright red Astrid said as she pulled out.

Hiccup was stunned, before his expression changed to dreamy and then he began laughed, unable to contain his happiness. This prompted Astrid to laugh as well, the vocalisation becoming contagious.

"Hiccup, where have you been?" Astrid asked, wiping tear from her eye. "Everyone missed you." Leaning into Hiccup's chest and being held in his loving embrace, she whispered "I-I missed you."

"I've been busy," Hiccup replied, determined not to give anything away, even to the beautiful Valkyrie before him.

Hiccup and Astrid regaled what had happened since Hiccup's disappearance, lying against the boulder with the occasional punch or kiss thrown in. No matter how hard Astrid tried to press the matter, Hiccup would not give in, avoiding it every time by answering, "I've been busy."

After several minutes, Toothless appeared on Hiccup's hand, which Hiccup placed behind his back so Astrid wouldn't notice. He subtly leaned out a bit so he could speak to the Night Fury, Astrid reacting to the movement by changing the position she was lying against Hiccup.

"_Hiccup, I can't hold the spell for much longer. We're going to have to leave now or else we won't be able to get out," _Toothless says, straining concernedly.

"_Alright. Just let me say goodbye," _Hiccup whispers, rising up slowly. Astrid falls off him and looks up, confused.

"Well, Astrid, it looks like my time here is up," Hiccup said sadly.

"What?! B-But you only just got here," an increasingly saddened Astrid says.

"I'm sorry, Astrid, but I have to go," Hiccup says, turning and slowly walking away as the white mist creeps back into the cove, engulfing the duo.

"Wait! Will I ever see you again?!" Astrid cries, pawning slightly at the space that Hiccup once was, the mist slowly swallowing the pair up.

"Soon, Astrid, I promise. And don't forget, I will always be close to you," Hiccup answers, turning around and giving Astrid a sad, lop-sided grin as he is enveloped in the mist.

"Hiccup! Wait!" Astrid cries, holding an outstretched hand in the direction that Hiccup disappeared to. "Hiccup!"

* * *

_Late Night, Village of Berk._

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouts as she shoots forward again for the second time that night. Again she searched her room for the youth, though more intensely than ever this time, again having no success.

"Just another dream," she sighs as she lays her head back down on her bed. Her expression was one of joy, sadness and confusion at the same time as she places her hand lightly against her lips, feeling as if she could still feel Hiccup's lips against hers.

'_But then, why did it seem so real?_' she wonders as she drifts of into a rare dreamless slumber.

Had she just looked out of her window, she would've seen a cloaked man looking at her and smiling.

As Hiccup walked away from the village, making his way back to the camp, he senses a presence behind him due to his enhanced Night Fury abilities.

"Hiccup," a female voice says behind him, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "You shouldn't be out here at night."

Hiccup spins around with lightning reflexes, swiftly drawing Liferend forth from his waist and pointing it towards the shadows, only to find it aimed at an extremely annoyed Catherine when she steps into the moonlight.

"Uh … Hi, Cat," Hiccup says feebly, sheathing Liferend back on his hip. He quickly learnt that not only did Catherine see what just transpired, but that she had been following him from the beginning.

"Hiccup, what do you think you were doing? You could've compromised our cover!" scolded a pissed off Catherine.

"Sorry, Cat. I just couldn't stay away," Hiccup replied, feeling extremely apologetic.

Catherine's expression softened upon his apology, knowing that he meant every word.

"Fine then, Hic. I could never stay mad at you," she says softly as she saunters up to him, before bringing him into a quick yet meaningful kiss.

"If this is punishment, I should've done this more often," Hiccup says as they pulled out, his childhood sarcasm switched back on.

"Shut up!" Cat replies, giving him a playful push and smiling warmly at him, which he returns with his own signature grin. "Come on, let's get back to camp. Thane said he had an emergency."

They both make their way back to camp together, unaware of the grave news awaiting them.

* * *

_Over the Ocean. 9 Days Flight from Berk._

Flying over the raging waters, 9 days out from Berk, is a large mass of dragons, consisting of many varieties. The main peculiarity, they were all tainted black. Regardless of the menacing presence of such strange, bountiful dragons, they couldn't compare to the fearful aura emanating from the centre of the flock. Flying in the centre was a gargantuan dragon, similar to the one Hiccup fought all those years ago. This time, instead of being red, it was coloured storm grey and pitch black. The massive dragon had two others next to it, one on either side. One was a large Nightmare, looking like any other apart from the blackness covering it. If you could see the fire spewed forth from this dragon, it would be pitch black instead of intense red, capable of burning down all in sight. The other was a Night Fury, black like the other dragons around it. It looked almost like Thane's dragon form, just not as heavily scarred and with the silver scar covering his left eye, not his right.

"_Master Death, we are nearing Dragon Island," _hissed the Nightmare, obviously, in Dragonese.

"_Good. I want to get revenge on the incessant Dragonborn that slew my sister, Red Death," _growled the black monstrosity.

"_Malthazar, have you heard back from the scout, yet?"_ the giant dragon snarled to the Night Fury.

"_Not yet. I assume he is still searching for the stone,"_ replied the Night Fury, Malthazar, devoid of emotion.

"_Do not assume, Malthazar. Only be sure," _lectured the gargantuan dragon.

"_Of course, My Lord,"_ he replied.

"_You really must be more assured, Mal,"_ the Nightmare taunts, "_or has your incompetence finally caught up with you?"_

_"Keep your mouth shut, Draki, before I pull it out myself," _Malthazar threatened to the Nightmare.

_'Children,'_ thought the black monstrosity as the swarm of dragons fly towards Helheim's Gate. '_Finally, I can have my revenge and power. THE BLACK DEATH WILL RULE AGAIN!'_

* * *

**A/N: As I said, more questions than answers. And yes ... another cliff hanger. ****_Well ... _****something of the like ...**

**As Incinerator didn't really say what the former teens looked like, apart from Hiccup, I thought that the HTTYD 2 appearances would do nicely. As for how the OC's look, he gave the readers a couple of links for what Thane, Catherine and Hiccup look like, or something like. If you are curious, PM me and I will send you the links for Thane and Catherine. As for Hiccup, that image is the cover for this story, so you can look at that.**

**For lack of inspirational speeches, now I'm gonna take a shot at those trying to abuse the members of the G.M.A.D. You people are cowards, hiding behind the guest guise so that we cannot shoot back. If any of you are reading this, you people know who you are, and you genuinely don't have an account, how about you make one and talk to us properly, instead of giving your pathetic excuses for arguments and abuse as an anonymous message. If you really aren't afraid, come talk to me. You will never be the same again. Those anonymous messages are futile, weak and pathetic. I'm sure many people would agree with me. **

**Um ... what else? Oh yeah! For those of you that are patiently waiting for the next chapter of 'HTTYD: Watching the Movie', I will try to get that up before the next chapter for this. If the next chapter for this is up before that, it most likely means that I've hit another block. Please continue to be patient, I will try to be as quick as I can with my current lifestyle.**

**Next chapter: Revelations.**

**As per usual, please review and fav if you haven't, constructive criticism is welcome. Also, feel free to PM me if you are confused or curious about something from one of my stories, if you require my assistance, or something of the like. I will be willing to help where I can, though in terms of info I'll try not to spoil too much.**

**Until we meet again ...**


	4. Revelations

**A/N: ... A shotgun rocket launcher ... Say that a few times and roll it around your mouth. Do you want one now?**

**Anywho ... Hello everybody! Here is another installment of Dragonborn. Yes, this is up before the chapter for WTM. That means my head isn't working too well. Things are a bit muddled up at the moment and it's just easier to get this up. If you're still waiting for that, please keep waiting patiently. I apologise for the wait and it should be up sometime soon.**

**Now, I've been asked by Incinerator to add something to the story, adding a bit more ... ****_character_**** ... to the story. Let's see just how many of you notice it.**

**The response from you guys has been fairly good. 30 reviews, 67 favs and 98 follows. I understand some of your concerns and questions, but you should realise that these things will be explained in the story. Now in response to some guests:**

**Mayflower123 - No, it isn't from Dr Who,and if you read what I put in the first AN, you would find the answer to your second question. To answer it here, yes there is a story that will be almost identical with this for a bit. The author didn't publicly put it up for grabs, I just asked if I could take it over and he let me. 'Nuff said.**

**Guest #1 - The only questions I can answer are the last two, and the last on is the one I'll answer first. Yes, the big dragon was the Red Death. However, if you remember back to the first chapter, Hiccup has already killed the Red Death. The big dragon you are referring to is the Black Death, a sibling of the Red Death. So, no, in the case that you've put forth, it isn't the Red Death that is the main foe in this story. Your third question, the dragons at the end include the Black Death, Draki, Malthazar and the Black Death's minions. I can't really give you any info on Draki and Malthazar here as that will come in later on in the story. As for the first two questions, one will be answered here, the other in the next chapter.**

**Guest #2/whisperingsofsilence - I'm sorry, I couldn't find your name when I searched it, so I'll answer your's here. Yes, Hiccup is a dragon, or at least a half-dragon. I can say no more.**

**Okay, I think I'll leave it at this ... Oh yeah. Hiccstrid fans, you may not like me for the start of this chapter. Just saying ...**

**Please review and fav if you haven't already. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train Your Dragon, nor the franchise. They belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks. I also don't own the OC's in this. That honour belongs to Incinerator1.**_

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Revelations.**

_Forests, Berk, Late Night._

Catherine and Hiccup walk back to the camp together, both talking happily with each other while they teasingly pushed and shoved each other. Cat would cling on to Hiccup's arm and lean into him from time to time, placing her head on his shoulder before straightening and giving a playful prod. Hiccup seemed relatively unconcerned by the actions, joining in and flashing her his lopsided grin. She returned it with a sweet, loving smile, her eyes shining as she gazed at Hiccup, losing herself in him.

'_No, of course I can't stay mad at him,'_ Cat thinks, entranced. '_I can't, unless he does something that kills him. Then I won't be able to forgive him.'_

She turns her head away for a second, concealing the sad look her face took as the thought came to her, before returning her gaze to Hiccup, who was looking straight ahead.

'_Always something stupid or crazy, that's his way,'_ she marked. '_But that's what makes him Hiccup, and I wouldn't want it any other way. He's smart, he's funny, he's incredibly kind … oh, who am I kidding? He's perfect!'_

The corners of her lips tweaked upwards at the thought, her train of thought continuing.

'_But he's back on Berk and I'm worried now. They shunned him out, every single one. I feel like they'll step all over him again if they find out it's him and I can't bear that. Not again … And Astrid. I can see that he still has feelings for her. What about me, Hic? What about the time we spent together? Would you go back to her so quickly? I can't give up on hope … but I don't know what to do …'_

Hiccup looks down at her and realises that she has been staring at him for a bit, her face showing faint signs of many emotions. He begins to feel worried, thinking she is concerned about something.

"Cat?" he asks, breaking her out of her labyrinth of thoughts. She blinks her eyes, shaking her head to bring herself back before replying.

"Yes, Hic?"

"Are you ok? You seemed concerned about something?"

"No, Hic. I'm fine," she lies, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Though it's sweet that you care," she adds as she pulls back, smiling sweetly. Hiccup gave her another of his signature grins, before looking ahead again, not noticing the slight blush on Cat's cheeks or the sparkle in her eyes.

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream reaches their ears, turning their attention to the direction of the camp. Instinctively, they ran as fast as they could towards the cove.

* * *

_The Cove, Dragonborn Camp, Late Night._

Upon entering the camp, they deduce the scream had come from Thane's tent, as freaked out noises still came from inside. When they burst into the tent, they were both surprised and embarrassed to find what was inside.

Now here's the thing. Thane has lead armies, fought many wars, conquered and destroyed many of the strongest fortresses, coming out with a few new scars and teeth from foes. Yet despite all his strength, training, bravery, intelligence and powers, there was one thing that remained undefeatable to him. His single bane is arachnophobia, otherwise known as his fear of spiders.

"AHHH! GET IT OUT OF HERE! IT'S COMING AFTER ME!" shouts Thane as he struggles to avoid a jumping wolf spider. He keeps backing away fearfully as it approaches closer and closer.

"Thane … it's just a spider …" Hiccup said, shaking his head embarrassingly at the veteran's reaction.

"It's a spider! A spawn of EVIL! GET IT AWAY!" Thane yells as he clambers back.

"Honestly, brother," Catherine sighs, grabbing the spider by one of its legs and holding it away from him. "I can't believe you still haven't gotten over your arachnophobia."

"Don't blame me," he replies, breathing quickly as Cat walked outside and put the spider down a bit outside the tent, the spider scurrying away. "I still have nightmares of the Spider Queen."

At his mention of the Spider Queen, Thane shudders, still traumatized by his experience long ago.

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad," Hiccup says, attempting to calm down Thane.

"You try saying that when the Queen of Spiders and all ugliness tries to make you be her king," Thane replied, hand on his chest as his breaths got deeper and deeper. The fear in his voice showed his trauma over what went down, but that is another story.

"Enough, Thane," Catherine says as she re-enters the tent. "You said you had an emergency."

Thane took one last deep breath before falling back into his steely composure.

"Ok, to start off, Draco, being the pompous one we all know and love," he began, recalling the reason he called for them and rolling his eyes at the last part in good nature, "tried to impress Natalie by getting the 'Catch of the Day'. While he was in the forest, he was attacked."

Both Cat and Hiccup struggled to contain their surprise and shock at this news.

"Draco was attacked?!" Natalie said, the shock in her voice. "By what?!"

"This," Thane said simply, grabbing a cage hanging from a pole and putting it down on the centre table. Inside was a Terrible Terror, its scales pitch black and eyes blood red, gnawing and slashing at the bars in an attempt to break free.

"No …" Hiccup said, eyes going wide, "… that's one of Black Death's scouts."

"Wait … if that's one of Black Death's …" Cat speaks slowly, gasping afterwards, "What about Draco?!"

"Don't worry. Draco managed to catch it without being bitten," Thane reassured, Cat sighing from the instant relief. "Although, this Terror being here poses an even greater problem. If Death knows of the village, then we will need to ask the Vikings for help."

"What?!" shouts Hiccup.

"No, we can't!" Cat shouts, slamming her hands on the table as her previous thoughts springing back to mind. '_They can't know that Hiccup's here.'_

"Well if you have an alternative, then by all means present it," Thane offers. When Cat struggles to give another option, Thane softens.

"I know, we originally planned to do this quietly, but we are running out of time to prepare and I can only estimate eight or nine days before Death arrives."

"So we have just over a week to convince a village of dragon slayers to help us, a group of half-dragons, fight what could easily kill us all, while keeping our lives and identities a secret?" Cat asks, still shook up.

"Pretty much, sis," Thane answers, eying his sister curiously while wary of her freaking out now. '_She normally doesn't get this shaken by these sorts of things. What could it be?'_

"Damn it," Hiccup and Catherine cursed simultaneously, wary of the days to come.

* * *

_Berk, Mid-morning, Guard Tower Four._

Sitting a bit outside the village of Berk was a tall watchtower to keep an eye out for any incoming dragons. It was built under Stoick's orders a few years after Hiccup's triumph to appease the dragon paranoid Vikings living there. Sitting atop the tower on shift were two very bored, very sleepy guards sitting and lounging around on the chairs provided. One of the guards was drifting into sleep, but before he could enter his dreamland a powerful wind vortex sucked him of his seat. The other guard yelled at him to signal the village as they both saw seven dragons fly out of the forest and towards the heart of Berk.

* * *

_Village of Berk, Mid-morning, Town Square._

The villagers were in a frantic panicky rush to set up their defences. As soon as Stoick got the signal that dragons were approaching, he called the whole village to action, getting the armoury open and Gobber back in the forge to fix and sharpen weapons.

"HECTOR, HERD THE LIVESTOCK BACK INTO THE BARNS! HELGA, GET THE CHILDREN BACK TO THEIR ROOMS! MENDALL, HELP BERT LOAD THE CATAPULTS!" Stoick ordered as he rushed around to get the village ready, his bellowing reaching out to all corners of the island.

He then paused and looked up to the sky along with everyone else as a roar sounded out from above. Each and every Viking saw a seven dragon V-formation slice through the air with pure speed.

"What can we do to help?" Astrid asked the chief, gesturing to Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout.

"All of you, grab a weapon and get re-" Stoick wasn't able to finish as the roars of several dragons cut his order short. The gang still followed through with his wishes, each grabbing their favourite weapons.

"DRAGONS!" Stoick bellowed, all Vikings gathering together in the village's centre to form a defensive line as the dragons descended to the ground.

The dragons merged into a spiral, getting lower and lower. Each was feeling just as tense as each other, apart from Draco who was near freaking out.

"_Uhh … Hiccup?"_ Draco said warily, getting the attention of the navigator.

"_Yeah, Draco?"_ Hiccup asked, keeping an eye out for any projectiles.

"_I think one of them threw a spear at me …"_

Just as that was said, a spear flew past Draco, narrowly missing his left wing. Draco screamed in response, though to the Vikings it sounded like a menacing roar.

"_They're attacking, Hiccup!" _Spitshot cried out, his head colliding with his sister's as he avoided an arrow.

"_We can see that!" _snapped Bomber, using his tail to knock a spear shaft out of the air.

"_Just keep going. Once we're near enough, we can block each other with firewalls," _Hiccup commanded, trying to calm everyone down.

No matter how much the Vikings tried to shoot and spear the dragons down, they were able to land physically unscathed. First Bomber the Gronckle and the twins Zippleback landed, with Terry the Terror riding on Bomber. They hissed and fired their shots at the Vikings, making sure to aim at their feet. Terry joined in with a few fireballs as well, the combined blasts edging the lines back. Soon after, the Nadder Natalie and the Nightmare Draco touched down, Draco flaring himself up and Natalie shooting her tail spines through the flames. The result came in the form of poisonous flaming Nadder spines embedding themselves in the ground, further pushing the Vikings back. Finally, the three Night Furies, Thane, Catherine and Hiccup, fired one plasma shot each, the combined force creating a shockwave that threw them to the ground and bringing up a smoke wall, blanketing the dragons. Three pairs of eyes pierced the smoke, followed by the rest of the Night Furies. They walked slowly out into the view of all in sight.

The Vikings were left surprised and intrigued. This was the first time a Night Fury had dared to show itself to the whole village, only Hiccup having the first true sighting. The other dragons parted to let the Night Furies through, proving to the Vikings that they harboured just as much respect amongst the dragons as they feared them. Most of the crowd were tempted to run out and slay one of the beasts, though they were held in place by the fear of being incinerated by intense dragonfire, leaving them content to just standing and watching.

Soon Stoick the Vast strode forward, engaging the lead Night Fury, the one with the artificial tailfin, in a stare down. Neither one broke eye contact as everyone around them stood quiet and watched.

"Well, _dragon,_ looks like you've gotten way over your head," Stoick said, signalling the archers to load and aim at the dragons.

"What are you going to do now, eh dragon?" Stoick challenged, daring him to strike.

No one moved a muscle, waiting for some kind of reaction. When one came, all the Vikings were thrown out of whack.

"Nothing," the Night Fury replied in perfect Norse.

This finally broke Stoick's … well … stoic composure, forcing him and the rest of the village to take a double take, not fully believing what they heard.

"Di-Did that dragon just speak?" Stoick asked bewildered, finally thinking he had gone crazy.

"I think so," Gobber replied, "unless the whole village has gone barking mad."

"If you are all wondering, yes, we did speak, and no, you're not crazy," the Nadder said, fixing her gaze on Gobber.

"Oh … alrighty then," Gobber replied, casually walking away and whistling.

"So … could all your kind speak?" asked a flabbergasted Astrid, her axe hanging loosely from her hands.

"Let me get back to you on that after we … _change …_ into something less menacing," the front Night Fury, the one missing a tailfin, said.

Each dragon surrounded themselves with an intense wall of fire, each dragon with their flames a different colour. As the fire dispersed, standing in the place of the dragons were nine men and women, strangely clothed and looking to the Vikings, except for the centre one who was wearing a hooded cloak and couldn't be discerned.

The Vikings were shocked beyond belief, to the point that one dropped his weapons and leapt into the arms of his wife.

"W-W … What are you?" Stoick asked, unable to believe what was happening right in front of his eyes.

"We are the Dragonborn, sons and daughters of men and dragons, riders who have managed to master the powers of dragons and magic," the nine replied, their different voices merging together as they spoke in unison.

"Riders?!" Stoick asked, his voice failing him as whispers began spreading from the crowd behind him.

"Yes, people who have managed to successfully tame and bond with a dragon," the buzzed giant, Bomber, replied.

"DEMONS!" shouted Spitelout, hurling an axe from the crowd at the heavily scarred man, Thane.

Thane, instead of dropping to the ground with an axe lodged in his head, caught the axe inches away from his face, making Spitelout's mouth drop.

"Yeah, we get called that a lot," Thane replied as he proceeded to crush the axe into a small metal axe.

All the Vikings' mouths dropped to the floor this time. Never have they seen a man possess such strength in their lives, nevertheless one who could do that without any effort whatsoever.

"Now then, all courtesies aside," Thane said, tossing the harmless cube behind him, "we didn't come here to fight. We came here to help."

"Help?" asked a Viking within the throng. "With what?"

"This," the elegant woman, Catherine, said, tossing forward the cage containing the controlled, tainted Terrible Terror, causing the Vikings to step back and some to reclasp their weapons.

"What in the name of Odin is that creature?" Gobber asked.

"That, my Viking friends, is a spawn of evil," answered the hooded man, Hiccup. "A dragon, once free, now infected with the mind and will of a beast we call … the Black Death."

"The Black Death?" Stoick asked, concerned.

"Yes. A dragon the size of a mountain, the power of a thousand storms and a plague of Black magic surrounding it and its forces, causing the infections and deaths of thousands upon thousands," Thane said. "In short, a dragon the likes of which you have never seen."

"And why would we need your help to defeat it, eh?" asked a grizzly old man, leaning on an old staff and with a grey frizzy beard, stepping forward from the throng.

"Not now, Mildew. There's a crisis going on," Stoick sighed, annoyed that he had to show up now.

'_Odin's beard! This guy is still alive,'_ thought a not very overjoyed Hiccup.

"Crisis my baggy eyes. These men aren't even human!" Mildew cried, thrusting his staff in the direction of the Dragonborn. "How can we even trust that this 'so called' _Black Death_ is coming here?" he asked, causing murmuring agreements from the Vikings.

"I mean, this … _dragon_ … could've already been born this way. And besides, how do we know that these _people_ haven't just poisoned this one, just to trick us into letting them live?" he argued. "They could even be trying to exterminate all Viking villages, using the same story each time."

By now he had convinced most of the village, which seemed ready to pounce on the Dragonborn and drive them away from Berk.

"So, as a citizen of Berk, I say that we kill these liars and defend ourselves as Vikings of Berk!"

At the last word, nearly all the Vikings picked up there weapons and threw them haphazardly at the nine.

"Uh … Boss? They're throwing stuff," Spitshot said as she backed up with the rest of them, all of them having to dodge the occasional weapon that would've hit its mark.

"I know," Hiccup said, "but we mustn't attack them. It will only provoke-"

"HICCUP!" Catherine cries as an axe flew towards his head, unnoticed by the youth.

'_No! Not now!'_ she thought desperately. '_Please not now!'_

The axe managed to miss Hiccup, the male pulling his head out of the way with split-second reflexes. Stoick, upon hearing his son's name, immediately called for the village to stop attacking.

"STOP!" he bellowed, all Vikings freezing in their tracks, some in mid throw. Those that were had their weapons fall limply to the ground.

Stoick slowly walked up to the hooded man, the hope of his sons return rekindled in the depths of his eyes. Catherine had a hand over her chest, breathing deeply in order to calm herself.

"Son?" Stoick asked hoarsely to the man.

The hooded man hesitated, glancing at Thane. At Thane's small nod, he pulled back his hood, revealing the grown up Hiccup. Every single Viking gasped in amazement, Astrid covering her mouth with her hand and trying incredibly hard not to cry, her axe clattering uselessly to the ground.

"Uh … h-hey, dad," Hiccup said nervously, not sure how everyone will react. "How's the last eight years been?"

Stoick just stared at his son for a bit. No one could anticipate just how he would react. Would he cry? Would he yell? Would he push him aside?

What he did gave the people one more thing to add to the wonders list for today. For the first time in eight years, Stoick laughed. It wasn't forced or anything, it was a true hearty, wholesome laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHA! How's it been?" he repeated. "How's it been?! It's been terrible. I mean, sure the dragon raids stopped, and all thanks to you. But you … you were gone."

Stoick then walked forwards and enveloped Hiccup in a crushing bear hug.

"Dad … I can't … breathe," Hiccup gasped, struggling to inhale the necessary air.

"Sorry," Stoick apologized, releasing Hiccup as he grabbed his chest and took a huge breath of air.

"Look everyone! My son has returned!" he announced. "We shall hold a feast for your return, and you can tell us all what you've been up to these last eight years."

None of the villagers were complaining, they were happy to have any sort of excuse to celebrate and break out the mead.

"Um … sorry, chief," Cat began, still concerned for Hiccup. "We have to get re-"

She didn't get to finish as she was interrupted by a warm hand on her hand. Looking around, she sees her brother Thane.

"Never mind, Cat," he says, noticing the distressed look on her. "Hiccup deserves a celebration."

Hiccup is led away to the Great Hall by Stoick with a fatherly hand on his shoulder, Gobber hobbling up to join them.

"Besides," he adds, "I think my little trap on Dragon Island will put Death back a few days."

* * *

_Dragon Island, Midday._

"_Where are you, you little ants?!" _shouts the Black Death as he tore up the side of the volcano on Dragon Island. The pyroclastic rock crumbled and broke away in chunks as his massive claws dig further into the earth.

Then he finally tore away a passage, revealing a small cave held up and supported with ancient stone pillars.

"_Yes! There you are!" _said Black Death as he breathes a black wall of fire around him, transforming into his human form.

His human form would give nearly everyone nightmares. He was covered in pitch-black armour, covered in razor sharp spikes from head to toe. His helmet slanted upwards, rising to a sharp point. It was so dark that nothing could be seen inside, not even his eyes (think of the Witch King of Angmar).

"Where are you, ants?" spoke a rasping, reptilian voice emanating from the infinite darkness within the metal.

A door was revealed at the end of the cave, old as time and covered in ancient Dragonese. Black Death chanted a phrase in Dragonese.

_"Death is only the beginning."_

He hated that password. Always it reminded him of his past, how annoying it all had been. In recognition of the chant, the door began to glow blue. However, instead of opening, sphere-like orbs fell from the ceiling, landing around Death.

"What is this?" Death asked, picking up one of the orbs.

Once in his hand, he realised that they were all fiery bombs, each marked with a magic fuse. He could sense the tremendous power within, eyes widening as the power flowed all around.

"THANE!" he shouted as all the bomb's fuses ran out at the same time, engulfing him in an inferno of grey fire.

* * *

_Great Hall, Midday, Berk._

Thane immediately felt his trap take effect, slumping against a pillar and falling to the ground, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Thane!" cries Catherine as her brother collapses.

"What's wrong?" she asks as she crouches down, placing an arm under Thane's shoulder to help him up.

"My trap for Death was sprung," he answered, weakened, struggling to rise. "That should set him back a few days."

"Thane, you need time to let your soulfire regenerate," said a worried Catherine, concerned for her brother's life.

"Don't worry, Cat," he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder as their combined strength help him get to his feet. "I can handle it."

Thane slowly made his way over to where Hiccup and the gang were sitting.

* * *

_Great Hall, Midday, Hiccup's Old Bench, Berk._

Hiccup was constantly peppered with questions, including what he had seen, what new information he had on dragons, who was he traveling with, but mostly what he had been up to for the past eight years. Every time he got asked that question, he responded the same way he did when with Astrid, simply saying, "I've been busy." That was all he would give on the subject … that is, until Astrid asked him.

Astrid managed to pull Hiccup away when the others were distracted by another fight between the two twins. They went over to a secluded corner of the hall, where no one was sitting down, and sat before Astrid started talking.

"Hiccup, we need to talk," she said, a softer edge to her voice than usual, though giving a look that said she wouldn't be letting him dodge it this time.

"What do you mean? We already spoke together," Hiccup replied, getting a discombobulated look from Astrid.

"What? When? Where?" she asked, completely confused. "I would've remembered if we did."

"Dreams sure are pleasant, aren't they?" Hiccup asked, answering her questions with a question.

The realization dawned upon Astrid as she figured out from his clue what he was referring to.

"You were … you were in my dreams, weren't you?" she asked. "You were actually there?"

"Maybe …" he answered, his boyish grin giving it away.

That soon gave way to a pained expression as Astrid walloped him in the arm.

"OW!" he cried, holding the impact zone that was sure to bruise.

"That was for entering my dreams," she explained, glaring at him.

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't as he was met with Astrid pulling him towards her, crashing her lips against his. Hiccup's shock gave way as he melted into it, holding it there until thy broke apart.

"That was for keeping your promise," she said, turning away to hide her furious blush. One had settled upon Hiccup as well, his cheeks as red as a tomato.

"So, for sneaking around in my dreams," Astrid said when she spun around to face Hiccup again, "you have to tell me what you were doing the last eight years. Unless you want more bruises," she threatened, holding her right fist in a position ready to strike.

"Ok, ok," he said, putting his hands up in surrender while giving a signature grin. Astrid responded with one of her own smiles, a sweet, caring one, though a slight blush crept up again.

'_Gods, I've missed him,' _she thought. '_How I haven't gone mad yet with him being back is a mystery. Please stay, Hiccup, Please stay here with me after this is all over.'_

"If you must now," Hiccup said, bringing Astrid back to her senses, "it happened like this …" bringing up the story of how he became a Dragonborn.

* * *

**A/N: Yep, another cliffhanger. There will be a fair few of these ...**

**Now you know why I said Hiccstrid fans wouldn't like the start. In fact, this'll mess with you a bit. Just bear with it, this method of madness will be brought together later on. How much later ... well, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.**

**Any queries, quotes, comments, thoughts, PM me or leave it in the review section. I will try to get to you all accordingly.**

**If you're waiting for the next chapter of WTM, please be patient for a bit longer. I will try to get it to you all ASAP. I do have the first teaser scene up for 'GMAD: Darkness Over Time', so check that out if you are interested too.**

**More things will be explained in later chapters. Don't worry.**

**That's about all from me for now, hopefully this was to eloquent sufficiency. When I can fully write my own chapters, then I should be able to get them more to my standard length, so chapters after 8 should be longer.**

**Please review and fav if you haven't. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**I'm done, I'm out. Adios amigos! **


	5. Memoria

**A/N: Well, I'm back. Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Here's another chapter for you all.**

**So, we have now gone past 100 follows. Thanks a bunch guys! Also, over 5,000 views and 81 favs as well. Let's try to get some more, shall we? Also, my thanks go out to those who did leave their thoughts in a review. I'm guessing the Cathcup (I think that's the best way to put it ...) put some people out of it, but as I said, there is method to this madness. Just stick with it.**

**In response to flame101: Yeah, Thane's acrophobia just makes things a bit funnier, doesn't it? Makes him a bit more ... realistic.**

**Now, this will answer your questions for what happened to Toothless and how Hiccup became Dragonborn. That's all I'm going to say, you can find the rest out by reading.**

**I'll have a bit more to say at the end.**

**Please review your thoughts and fav if you haven't. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train Your Dragon, nor the franchise. They belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks. I also don't own the OC's in this. That honour belongs to Incinerator1.**_

**Read on! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Memoria.**

"This is how I became a Dragonborn …" Hiccup said, Astrid leaning in closer.

* * *

-_Flashback-_

_Eight Years Ago_

_Dragon Island, Hidden Room_

_Hiccup's POV_

Searing heat … thundering pain … that's what initially came to my mind as I struggled to regain consciousness. The looming tail of the Red Death falling through the sky, Toothless and I unable to get away. The memories flooded in my otherwise blank mind. The massive tail bludgeon slammed into us, knocking me clean out of the saddle. My head grew worse as I fell … I could see Toothless roaring in a blind panic as he saw me fall. I could feel the inferno underneath rise up to meet me, seeking to add another life to its deadly blaze. The last thing I saw was Toothless flapping as hard as he could to reach me, as the fiery storm engulfed us. All I could think of before I lost consciousness was that now the dragons were free … and wishing with all my heart that I could've seen Astrid again …

… one last time …

Once the memories shut down I snapped awake, sitting up with a start. That was a bad idea, as the pain in my gut punched its way into feeling. Seeing no vengeful flames or mountainous rubble, I laid back down, clutching the pain and pulling the warm, fur blanket closer.

'_Wait … blanket? Wasn't I falling?_'

Due to the tremendous throbbing in my head, I couldn't think straight initially, my head struggling to piece together what happened. I sat up again, much more slowly this time, and took a look at my surroundings.

I was lying down on a bed made of many furs and skins, stacked and placed carefully so that no pressure would be put on my body. Now that I was sitting up, my feeling began to return. All my muscles were aching and groaning, making me slowly roll and rub them to loosen them. The room was of a strange design, it looked like the inside of a mountain. Rocky walls rose up from the cool floor, rounding and curving till it reached the ceiling, a few stalactites dropping down in the corners of the room. Books were scattered all around, either on the floors or lying atop the few tables and cabinets I could see. Filling one side of the room was a platform, weird symbols and a strange circle etched into the stone. A roaring fireplace stood near me lit already by a strangely coloured blue flame, no smoke rising up from the blaze.

Before I could look around any further, I felt something wrong with my body. I could feel the scars, the burns, the gashes I picked up when we danced with death, but this felt stranger. It wasn't as if something was there that shouldn't have been … in fact quite the opposite. I couldn't feel something that I should've been able to. My feeling began getting better and better …

'_It's in my lower body … it's in my legs … it's one of my legs … it's the left leg …'_

I slowly pulled the blankets off and looked at my left leg, or rather, where my leg should've been. Instead of a foot and a long limb, there was just a slightly burnt, red, terribly scarred stump, cut off halfway between the patella and the ankle. A hand carved wooden prosthetic is placed at the end of the stump, bandages and some sort of contraption hold it in place without harming the leg. My eyes widened in realization.

"It's gone … my leg is gone …" I said hoarsely.

'_How did I not notice?'_ I thought ludicrously. '_Better question, how did I lose my leg?'_

"Good, you're awake," came a voice behind me, strong and steady.

I spun around to find a man clothed in black, long jet-black hair reaching his hips, sitting in a chair angled at me. Scars scattered his entire body … all that was visible anyway. In particular was a silver scar cutting through his right eye, said eye and its brother watching me curiously. Two sets of twin swords lay on either side of him.

"Wh-who are you?" I asked timidly, unable to get much strength out of my voice, though I could feel it coming back.

"The man who saved you," he said simply, before I was 'attacked' by a thick, wet object running itself over my cheek.

"TOOTHLESS!" I cry as loud as I can, the dragon knocking me down as he licked me joyously, despite the multitude of protests I put forth.

"Stop bud … Toothless, stop …" I laugh as he continues to assault me, slobbering all over me. "Toothless … Stop!"

Toothless finally stops and looks at me, clearly happy to see me alive and awake.

"I missed you too, bud," I say warmly, rubbing his snout as he lowers his head.

The scarred man watches on, amusement seemingly ghosting his face, as he watched the scene unfold.

"So, he is the trainer?" he asks Toothless, who replies with a nod of his head. The man then emits a few growls, grunts and hisses, which was met in kind by Toothless, using the same sort of noises. It looked like they were talking to one another, but I couldn't understand what they were saying if they were speaking.

"What was that?" I ask the man after they were speaking, tilting my head to the side in curiosity.

"Oh, I forgot. You humans can't understand Dragonese," he said, just making me even more confused.

"Dragonese?" I said, keeping my head where it was, before I realized what else he said. "Wait, human? Are you saying you're not human?!"

"Well, to answer your first question, Dragonese is the language of dragons," the man answered calmly, as if my freaking out was normal. "As for the second … yes and no."

"Yes and no?" I ask, trying to keep as level a head as possible.

"Yeah … I'm what you could say half human and half dragon," he replied. "Kinda crazy, eh?"

All I could do was nod, gulping slightly. I felt as if I was dreaming, surely there wasn't anything that could possibly be half dragon and human. The shock was making my head feel dizzy.

"I must be hallucinating … I swear you just said you were half dragon."

"You're not and I did."

I end up lying back down, holding my head.

"You're half dragon?" I say, closing my eyes. "Are you for real or am I dreaming?"

"Hmm … perhaps a demonstration is in order …"

I couldn't see what he was up to, all I could hear was some sort of fire being … exhaled? I could feel the heat radiating from where the man was, but I had no idea what was going on. It sounded similar to a dragon breathing its fire, or the furnace in the forge being stoked. When I opened my eyes, a black scarred Night Fury was looking at me. I jumped out of bed and crawled backwards to Toothless.

"Gaah!" I screamed, breathing quickly.

"Yep, happens every time," the Night Fury says in perfect Norse, with the exact same voice the man had.

He then breathes out a fierce grey flame, the fire swirling around him creating a fire wall. When the flames die down, the man is standing exactly where the Night Fury was.

"Who and what are you?" I huff, clutching his chest.

"My name is Thane Nightson, and I am what's known as a Dragonborn," the man apparently called Thane answers.

"What's a Dragonborn?" I inquire, still shaken up.

"Sons and daughters of men and dragons, along with Riders who have mastered the powers of magic and dragons," Thane explained.

"Riders? You mean, like me?" I ask, pointing to myself.

"Yes, and it seems like you have become a very successful one. Your dragon wouldn't leave your side without trying to bite my hand clean off," he said, holding up his hand. I could see many gummy marks where he had brought his mouth down, along with a couple of teeth marks.

I look angrily at Toothless, pointing a finger at him as I chided him.

"Toothless! Bad dragon! Very bad dragon!" I said, though Toothless seemed more transfixed by my finger than my words.

'_Fine then, if that's how you want to play …'_

"You don't go bitting other people. You get no fish for a week," I threatened.

That got Toothless' attention, his eyes widening as he gave me a big puppy look, not wanting to bear the punishment. We stared at each other for a minute before I gave in.

"_Fiiiine_ … I could never stay mad at you, bud," I said, giving him a hug as he responds to the surrender with a gummy smile.

"Huh … I see why he likes you," Thane said slightly amused, though not showing it.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'd do without him," I said, scratching Toothless under his chin.

"Good then, you're ready."

"Ready?" I said confused. "Ready for what?"

"Didn't you tell him, Toothless?" Thane asked, Toothless replies with a gruff grunt.

"Don't use that language with me," he said, glaring at the Night Fury.

"What did he need to tell me?" I ask, curious.

"Do you know about the five stages?" he asked, which all I could do in response was give a confused look.

"Ok, when taming and bonding with a dragon, there are five stages you can go to," he explained. "The first stage is known as First Contact; when you meet your dragon and you start the bond."

'_So, when Toothless roared at me in the forest.'_ I thought, looking back to that day.

"The second stage is called Trusting; when you've bonded long enough that he trusts you substantially to let you ride on him," Thane continued, gesturing to the saddle on Toothless' back.

"The third stage is Friendship; when you and your dragon trust each other completely and will not leave each other's side willingly."

Thane held up his hand again, showing the gum and teeth marks again.

"The fourth stage is the Linking stage; when you link on a spiritual and emotional level. Your dragon is able to tell how you're feeling, where you are and whether or not you are dead."

"That explains a lot," I said, leaning up against Toothless as I gingerly got up on my leg, before testing my prosthetic. It took the weight well, but my stump groaned painfully.

"Be careful on that," Thane said. "You need to take some time to get used to it."

"Yeah, I know," I replied, thinking of Gobber's stories. "What's the last stage?"

"The fifth and final stage is called the Full Bond. That's when you and your dragon become one."

"One? Like one body?"

"Sort of. You become one in mind, body and spirit," Thane elaborated. "It's one of the ways to become a Dragonborn."

"So I could become a Dragonborn?" I asked, still a bit unsure. "I should be able to become one like you?"

"Since you first bonded with Toothless, you had no other path," Thane said. "I too had a dragon once, my friend Blackbolt. We reached the final stage and became one. We became Dragonborn. To be honest, it isn't really that bad being a Dragonborn."

I nodded slightly. I understood what he was saying, but I had no idea how I should still be feeling. Should I feel happy, sad, excited or scared about becoming half dragon?

"But the last question can only be answered by you. Do you want to become a Dragonborn or not?" Thane asked, looking at me. "Toothless has already said that he wanted to when I asked him."

I didn't say anything, I couldn't decide right away. There was so much that could still happen, so much that I needed to think about. Looking at Thane, I could see he understood the conflict I was feeling.

"I'll give you a while to think about it. It took Toothless half a day to answer," he said, walking away.

I walked over to a chair and sat down in it, tapping my prosthetic against the cold, stone floor. I analysed the wooden limb as if I had only just seen it … and truth be told I had.

'_Should I really become a Dragonborn? It seems like I should. It looks like it would bring Toothless and I together to a whole new level. Then, nothing would be impossible. But say I did … what will my dad think? What would everyone else think? Would he kill me for what I've done? What about Toothless? But what about my dad? What about Berk? What about …'_

_'What about Astrid?'_

If there was anyone who I would remember from Berk, it would be Astrid. I mean, who wouldn't? Even though she didn't stand up for me these last years when Snotlout and the others tormented me, even though we drifted apart from when we were kids, my heart still burned with the desire to be with her, to hold her … to feel her lips against mine. I don't think I ever will meet anyone else that will strike me the way she has. If I somehow did find someone who could hold a candle to her, they would have to be an angel.

But thinking back on it … I know I can't return. Not now, not after leaving the way I did. They would kill Toothless as soon as they could and I would struggle to be me if that happened. If Toothless dies, part of me will die with him. I will no longer be whole.

'_I guess that's it then … I know what I will do,'_ I thought, finally making up my mind.

"Thane … I've made my decision," I declared, looking up from my leg and taking a deep breath. No turning back now.

Thane came out of the shadows near one of the cabinets, a really old looking book in his hand. The covers were tattered and looked as if it would fall apart at any minute.

"Well, that was a lot quicker than I anticipated," he replied, genuinely looking surprised. "What do you decide?"

'_This is it …'_

"I … I will become a Dragonborn," I said, determination fired up in the depths of my eyes.

Toothless' reaction was to start jumping around in a circle, purring and grunting happily.

"Toothless is pleased with your decision," Thane translated for my benefit. Thane walked over to me and held out a hand, pulling me up to my feet. "Well let's start the ritual … Oh, I didn't get your name."

"I'm Hiccup," I replied, "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

"Well then, Hiccup," Thane said, placing a hand around my back to help me walk, "let's get started."

'_Well this is it … I just wish that I can see Astrid again …'_

_'… one last time …'_

* * *

_On the Strange Platform_

_Hiccup's POV_

I was kneeling down in the middle of the circle on the strange platform I saw before. The symbols and what I can only assume to be words in another language etched in and around the circle seem to flicker and weave eerily, like the Dragon Manual back on Berk that night. Toothless sits with me in the circle, while Thane stands a little distance outside, but still on the platform. As he starts to speak, he begins to move around the edge of the ring.

"Now, Hiccup, not many people survive this ritual. This is because of the immense and sometimes overwhelming pressure of having two soulfires inside your body," Thane warned, getting a frightened and confused look from me.

"Soulfire?" I asked, slightly more scared than I would've liked to admit.

"Yes, it is the embodiment and power of your very soul. It represents your life, your emotions, abilities and even your magical potential," he elaborated. "Each soulfire is unique, representing their own properties, which is why they have many different colours. Like my grey fire." That brought his grey wall of fire back to my mind.

"This particular ritual combines both your and your dragon's soulfires together. When this happens, I can guarantee that it will hurt. A _lot,_" he added, making me regret making this choice just a little bit.

'_Great. Pain … love it,_' I thought, with some amusement.

"But the rewards are worth it," Thane reassured. "When you and your dragon become one, you will gain some of their traits and characteristics. That includes the transformation, heightened senses and fire breath." As if to prove this, Thane shot out a powerful blue plasma shot, scorching the ground in a black stain. This brought back my enthusiasm for becoming a Dragonborn.

"Wow …" I say, thunderstruck.

"However, if both souls don't merge successfully, both of you can die. If one goes, so does the other. And believe me, it ain't pretty." This made me fearful again. Just how is he trying to make me feel for this?

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at the two of us.

I took a few deep breathes, trying to prepare myself for the hell to follow. I take one final breath before I answer.

"I'm ready," I say slowly and quietly. Toothless nods to say that he is also ready.

"Alright then," he said. "Let it begin."

Thane began chanting some strange words that I could not understand, causing the circle and symbols to flicker and glow as if they were on fire. Suddenly, blue fire leapt up from the circle, blazing around us in a fierce inferno. My heart moved and panged when the fire leapt up, feeling as if it is connected with the blaze.

"This is your soulfire," Thane explained as Toothless and I gazed at it in wonder. "It is blue for harmony."

'_Harmony … I never would've thought that my soul would be harmonious …'_ I thought, remembering all the problems I caused for the people back on Berk and how I was treated.

"It's rare for a fire to be such a pure colour. This must mean you have something important left for you to do," he observed, making my spirits rise.

'_What could it possibly be?'_

"Now … back to the task at hand. I want you to repeat these words after me."

I nodded in response.

_To form together, both of us shall,_

_To make one body, soul, and meld._

_Now, before my dragon I have knelt,_

_To form a bond unbroken until I have fell._

I began to repeat the lines, careful not to slip or stutter over the words.

"Good, now close your eyes," Thane said when I had finished.

I did so, hearing Thane chant in some language unknown to me. I couldn't see what was happening, but if I hadn't closed my eyes, I would've seen a thick white mist creep up, engulfing and surrounding Toothless. When the mists parted slightly, Toothless was transformed into a white mist form of himself. He slowly moved towards me as Thane finished.

"Now take a deep breath," Thane said to me.

Eyes still closed, I complied to his wishes, taking in a huge … well, as big as I could … breathe of air, also inhaling the mist that made up Toothless. My eyes shot open when his essence was gone, instantly coughing and hacking as the mist passed into me. It felt as if I had swallowed volcanic ash.

Then, it started. Pain struck my entire body like lightning, I felt as if I was burning as the pain spread, starting from my legs all the way to my head. My muscles were on fire as they grew and stretched like they were never designed to do. A sharp pain reached my tailbone as I felt something shoot out of it **(wait for it …)**. Through the pain and suffering, I could see a four-foot dragon tail behind me. I was then brought to my hands and knees as my back exploded. It first felt like someone was ripping my back apart, before two wings sprouted out of my back, folding in as I screamed in pain. But that wasn't the end of it. The excruciating pain moved to my head as it changed dramatically. I nearly pulled the hair out of my head as my teeth changed to rounded fangs, and dragon ears and earflaps shooting out of the top of my head. I tried to shout out, but instead of my voice, a dragon roar came out. I could then feel my eyes change to slits before I collapsed. Finally … finally, the pain stopped.

Thane walked over to me as he crouched down and shook my shoulder … well, what I felt was my shoulder.

"Hey kid … you alive?" he asked.

"_Everything hurts like hell,_" I barely get out, shaking my head slightly to try and regain my senses. Everything seems strange, as if my senses have changed a lot.

"Well, you survived and are officially a Dragonborn … well, almost."

Thane held up a mirror for me to see, and I was shocked to find what I was looking at.

Staring back at me in the reflection was me, my body, my face. However, there were indeed a lot of noticeable changes. Looking behind myself, I could see the wings of a Night Fury sticking out my back. Night Fury ears and flaps stuck out of my hair, looking weird, and if I opened my mouth, I could see slightly rounded off fangs, halfway between mine and a dragon's, which were as sharp as knives. The eyes looked normal, if you didn't count the slit-like pupils in the centre. But what truly took me by surprise was the four-foot tail coming out from my tailbone. The part that surprised me was that it was missing a tailfin … the left tailfin.

'_There's only one Night Fury I know that's missing a tailfin … Toothless! Does that mean it worked?'_

There were other differences as well. I felt as if I could lift a boulder with one hand and my senses were definitely enhanced. Through Toothless' ears I could hear ants crawling on the ground, flies buzzing, even Thane breathing. Looking back at the tailfin, I realised I would have to do something about it, as I knew dragons can't fly without a full tail or wings.

"_Are you okay?_" Thane asked me in grunts and growls as I was busy admiring myself. To my surprise, I understood it perfectly.

"_Yeah … just … this is weird,_" I replied in the same language I did before. "_Wait, what am I speaking?"_

"_You're speaking Dragonese,"_ Thane said in kind. "_You won't be able to speak Norse for a while, but you'll get used to it. Soon, you will be able to speak both fluently."_

"_Oh,_" I replied, still feeling a bit strange. I guess that's normal.

"_Right now, you are a newborn,_" Thane continued. "_Like a human babe or a dragon hatchling. You won't be able to do a full dragon-to-human transformation, nor some other perks for now because, at the moment, you are neither dragon nor human."_

_"But don't worry," _he said, in response to my worried look, "_in a few years, you will become a full Dragonborn, and all this will be behind you. For now, we just need to work on getting you used to your newfound abilities."_

_"Good, that's reassuring," _I say, before Thane starts to talk to me about the new capabilities I have, and what a Dragonborn can do.

-_End Flashback_-

* * *

_Great Hall, Berk, Present Time_

_No-one's POV_

"… then over the next eight years we did many things, including training, visiting new places and finding and recruiting dragon riders, future Dragonborn." Hiccup concluded, Astrid resting against his shoulder. She had moved next to him during his story and rested against him, enjoying his presence.

"The first of the group we found was Bomber," Hiccup said, pointing to the man who was currently locked in an arm wrestle with Gobber. "His village was very hostile to dragons … similar to Berk, in fact. They would slay a dragon and sell its body parts as trinkets, the only dragons they would keep were their heads as trophies. He found his Gronckle in a swamp when he was walking around and called it … well … Swampy. She was stuck in a pit and couldn't get out, until he rescued her. They became lifelong friends after that. Unfortunately, his village found out and were going to kill him and Swampy, until they fled away with us."

"Next was Terry," he said, pointing to the small child. He was playing with a couple of kids that weren't afraid, either due to being reckless or just plain friendly. "He was adopted by a Terrible Terror, but a nearby village found him and his mother. They killed her and locked him up, but he escaped due to his incredible talent for magic, as we found out. He ran away into the forest and lived there for a time. He has an unusual attachment to me and Bomber because we saved him from a dangerous dragon. He joined us after that."

"He looks just like you when you were little," Astrid said with a little giggle.

"That's what the others thought too. They ended up calling him 'Hiccup II' because of it."

"So who was next?" Astrid asked, looking up into Hiccup's eyes.

"The next one was Natalie."

Natalie was hanging from one of the rafters, trying to ignore Draco's constant flirting.

"She is the daughter of a man and a Nadder Dragonborn. Her parents were killed by the same village that Terry escaped from, and she ended up living in the forest afterwards, surviving the way she was taught to. The village always had rumours of a wild girl living in there, never daring to show herself but always getting in their way."

"I guess those rumours were true," Astrid laughed.

"They certainly were," Hiccup replied before continuing. "We rescued her as well after she was swarmed by the villagers. Her spear is one of shadow, a gift from her mother. She is capable of summoning more to help her in a fight. Next were the twins, Spitshot and Spitfire."

They were engaged in a conversation with Berk's mischievous twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. By the way they were talking and fighting each other, it looked like they were going to get along real well together.

"We found them on a mostly desolate island; we guess their parents abandoned them. If it wasn't for their Zippleback Rayne and Ryne, they would've died a long time ago. They were brought by their dragon to a tribe in the centre of the island that seemed to praise dragons. There they stayed until we got them to come with us. I'll tell you, they were a menace for the tribe, just like Ruff and Tuff. The tribesmen did teach them how to fight, though. They were also taught special bomb-making techniques that make up a lot of their fighting secrets."

"Let's hope that they don't share those secrets with Ruff and Tuff," Astrid put in. "I think your dad would flip his top if they learnt how to make those."

Hiccup let out a small chuckle, though he seemed to sadden a bit over the mention of Stoick.

'_I wonder … he must still feel bad about what happened,_' Astrid thought. '_Oh Hiccup … we both just want you back with us here …'_

"Who came after the twins?" Astrid inquired, wanting to keep him from feeling down.

"Next was Draco," Hiccup said, looking at the man. He had given up on flirting with Natalie for now and was surrounded by a mob of girls all desperate for him to choose them. He wasn't paying his usual attention to them, instead talking with Snotlout who seemed to be looking pleased with how the conversation was going.

"… I'd look out if I were you," Hiccup warned Astrid.

"How come?"

"Because Draco is known for having nearly any girl fall for him, and he is currently talking to Snotlout. I would guess Snotlout's trying to find a way to get you to fall for him, if he's still flirting with you."

"Oh great …" Astrid mumbled. "He just won't get the hint."

"Anyway, Draco was part of a wealthy family. In fact, his whole village was stinking rich. It originally seemed like a nice place … until we found out they were slaughtering dragons and selling their body parts for potions and other magical uses. We helped Draco free his Nightmare Swiftwing from one of the slaughterhouses and he ran away afterwards with us."

"What about the other girl?" Astrid asked, a bit wary of her. She had to admit that she was beautiful, and she was worried that maybe Hiccup liked her as well. She didn't want her to take Hiccup away from her.

"Catherine?" Hiccup asked. "Well she was an interesting one." Both of them looked around for her, but they couldn't spot her in the hall.

"She must be with Thane. I mean, he is her brother."

"What?!" Astrid exclaimed, making a few heads turn their way. She instantly quietened down, leaning closer. "Sorry. They're brother and sister? They seem so different."

"They do a bit, but they're much more similar than they look at first glance," Hiccup said. "She ran away after some sort of incident that happened between them. Neither of them will talk about it, nor about their past. All I know is that it had something to do with that skull-like katana on her back."

"So, you don't know much about her?" Astrid asked a bit disappointed. She wanted something to go on in case she did try to get Hiccup's heart.

"I didn't say that. When we found her, she seemed to be distant, especially with Thane. I think I was the one that she would speak to the most at that stage. But, over time, she warmed up to everyone, even Thane, though she still seemed to be closest to me. She is a lethal fighter, deadly in every sense of the word. However, she is kind, if not a bit easily irritated, she'll worry for those who are hurt and try to help in any way she can."

"Oh," Astrid said, a bit surprised.

'_Why would she warm to Hiccup more easily? Is it just because of his kind hearted nature? Or does she like him the way I do? How does Hiccup feel about her?'_ Astrid thought, hoping that nothing happened like that.

"Did … did anything happen between you?" Astrid asked reluctantly.

'_I need to know … I just have to …'_

"Why do you ask?" Hiccup stammered, caught off guard by the question.

"Just … curious," she replied.

'_Please Hiccup … tell me that it's nothing. Tell me I'm paranoid …'_

"It's … complicated," he answered, before we both stayed silent for a moment. It was clear that he wasn't going to say anymore.

"Fine," she said, giving in, "but I want answers later."

Hiccup didn't give any recognition that he heard Astrid, until she said something else.

"Wait, you didn't tell me Thane's story."

"Well, that's the thing. Like Catherine, he won't say a thing about his past," he groaned. "He keeps saying that I'll learn later, but it never seems to come. It's as if he hates what happened."

"Why would he do that?" Astrid asked confused.

"No idea, it's his business. I can respect his decision."

"HICCUP! GET OVER HERE!" Thane bellowed, making everyone jump. Even with such volume, you could tell that Thane was outside the hall.

"I better go see what he wants," Hiccup said, standing up and leaving Astrid alone at the bench.

'_Well, Hiccup, you may not want to know about Thane, but I do," _Astrid thought as she began to formulate a plan.

* * *

_Great Hall, Berk_

Catherine had stealthily followed Hiccup and Astrid and was listening to their conversation from behind a tall support. A small smile played on her lips as he regaled the tales of the Dragonborn, how they all met. But she then froze when it got to her.

'_Be careful, Hiccup,'_ Cat thought, getting worried. '_You heart may yearn for hers, but I can tell there's still doubt. Please don't say too much.'_

She looked satisfied at Astrid's disappointment when she was told that Cat didn't divulge into her past, leaving little for her to go on. But Hiccup's continued talk began to lower those spirits.

'_Hiccup … why wouldn't I have warmed to you? You took my breath away. You brought me out of my darkness and back to who I was. You helped reunite me with Thane, looked after us all and you were always kind to those that deserved it. I keep trying to get closer to you, and you seem to be opening up, bit by bit. I love you, Hiccup … Please love me back …'_

When Astrid asked if there was anything between them, Cat's breath got caught in her throat. She realised what his answer was here would tell whether he loved her or not. His answer, "It's … complicated," seemed to relax her a bit.

'_It doesn't mean that he doesn't love me, but it doesn't mean he does. I think he's just trying to be careful for Astrid's sake. He must be feeling confused about it all … at least I hope so …'_

Soon the conversation passed briefly to Thane and Catherine went back to listening … or eavesdropping. Depends on how you look at it. When Thane's voice boomed in from outside, she jumped along with everyone else.

"Who knew he could speak like that after that trap?" she muttered to herself.

She made herself seems smaller so that Hiccup wouldn't notice her when he walked away, leaving Astrid at the bench alone. Peeking around the support, she could see that Astrid was thinking hard about something. Cat guessed it was either about Hiccup or Thane's past.

'_I could speak to her now, away from Hiccup's ears,'_ she thought. '_I could see how she truly feels about all this … But if Hiccup finds out, he might not be happy. It could just make things worse.'_

Turning away and slumping against the support, she placed her head in her hands.

'_Fine, I'll let them be for now. But I'm going to need to talk to Hiccup. I need to know how he feels … and Thane can't find out. He's already suspicious from what happened outside, I can't let him find out more.'_

Cat sat there for a few more minutes before she quietly got up and walked away, careful to make sure that Astrid didn't notice her.

'_Hiccup … please make the right choice …'_ she thought sadly as she walked over to speak with the other Dragonborn.

* * *

**A/N: So there you go. One more chapter out of the way.**

**So, I'm wondering if anyone here can make the connection to Draco that I and a few others have made ...**

**As for WTM, I probably won't update it for a couple of weeks. I have school and soccer and it is taking up a bit of my time. But holidays start in about two weeks for me, so I'll have a lot more time then. So, it's most likely going to be updated then. Don't worry, I'm not going to give up on it. In the meantime, I'll get some more chapters out of the way for this.**

**Speaking of chapters, you may have noticed a bit of descriptive and writing difference between this and the other chapters. I've decided to go for turning it more into my style of writing, without deviating away from the story. It just makes things more comfortable for me. That was also my first time writing from someone's POV, so let me know how I did. It's also starting to get to my normal chapter length. For those that don't know, that's around 7,000 words. (this is a bit under that)**

**I think that's about it. Please leave a review and fav if you haven't. Constructive criticism is welcome. Also, you can come to me if you need help with anything, whether it be with a story (I am a beta-reader) or life in general. I'll be more than happy to help.**

**Next chapter: Unlocking the Past.**

**Until next time ... adios amigos!**


	6. Unlocking the Past

**A/N: Well, I'm back with more storytime for you all.**

**Yes, I just changed the summary. Thought it should differ from the original ... let's see how it works.**

**Now then, 6 more reviews ... Thank you to those who did review, and for you guys that do like this and want more updates, reviewing tends to make things go faster. Just a little sidenote for you all *wink, wink***

**Also, we are so close to having 100 favs. Please keep it up if you like this. Makes me a lot more happy.**

**I'll have a few more things to say afterwards, but for now, enjoy!**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train Your Dragon, nor the franchise. They belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks. I also don't own the OC's in this. That honour belongs to Incinerator1.**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Unlocking the Past**

_Village, Berk_

Hiccup exited the Great Hall after hearing Thane's thunderous call, dodging a few Vikings stumbling around outside with mugs of mead in their hands. He wandered the village, following the direction that Thane's voice came from, looking left and right to try and spot him. The more he searched the more of the village he saw. More and more of his past came to him, many different memories coming from the depths of his mind. Joyous ones, grievous ones, sad ones, mediocre ones. Some where he was alone, some with others.

Soon Hiccup was reaching the other side of the village and he still hadn't found Thane.

"I wonder … could he be there?" Hiccup muttered to himself, walking towards the killing ring, before leaning on the barred cage overlooking the inner reaches. Looking down he could see Thane standing in the centre of the arena glaring at the surroundings. Hiccup got up and walked towards the still open gate, not wanting to keep Thane waiting any longer.

"What's up, Thane?" Hiccup asked. "What do you need me for?"

"What is this place, Hiccup?" Thane replied, not looking at the youth. "I can smell the blood … I can hear the screams … I can taste the fear … I can feel the pain. They killed dragons here, didn't they?"

"Yes," Hiccup answered hesitantly. "They train young Vikings in here to slay dragons. A few names were given to this place. The arena, the training arena, but mostly … the killing ring."

"Can you hear them?" Thane asked, looking at Hiccup. "Can you hear the dragons' pleas?"

Breaking the silence between them were the muffled cries of five voices, trapped behind the thick metal gates. Their screams were agony to Hiccup's ears.

"_Help us! Free us! Save us!" _the dragons shout, pounding against the iron and roaring in desperation.

"No … we have to get them out," Hiccup said, unconsciously walking forwards. "We have to save them."

Hiccup began to run towards the gate mechanisms in an attempt to release the dragons from their prisons, but was stopped by Thane's hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing, Thane?" Hiccup said. "We have to help them!"

"Leave them, Hiccup," Thane replied, getting a stunned look from Hiccup. "I have other plans for them. Then we can help them, if they still want it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just trust me," was all Thane would say.

Hiccup looked as if he would argue otherwise, before his shoulders slumped and he gave a defeated sigh.

"Don't worry, we will help them," Thane assured him, making Hiccup feel a bit better.

"Is asking about this facility the only reason you called for me?" Hiccup asked.

"No, it isn't," Thane answered. "I get the sense that you want to teach this village about dragons. To cease their hostilities towards Dragonkind and teach them about our ways. I've noticed it for a while, ever since we decided to come here."

Hiccup was momentarily shocked that Thane knew what he was thinking, before mentally cursing himself for believing he wouldn't know even a slither of it.

"Yes, I do," he answered, dropping his head. "I think … no. I believe they can be convinced to change."

"Well, I don't have a problem with it," Thane replied, surprising Hiccup. "Just get permission from Stoick, your father, and we'll get to work on it."

"Of course. I'll do that right away." Hiccup said joyously, transforming into Toothless' form and flying towards the Great Hall.

* * *

_Training Arena, Berk_

Thane stood calmly in the centre of the arena, watching Hiccup fly off to try and get the news he so desperately wanted.

'_He was too easy to get rid of. I thought Hiccup would've asked more questions than that,'_ Thane thought. '_No matter, it gives me the time I need to think.'_

Thane sat down where he was standing, closing his eyes and crossing his legs over.

'_Death isn't too far away. How are we going to beat him?'_ Thane wondered, delving into his troubled mind.

In the midst of his thoughts, he sensed a presence drop into the arena behind him, one filled with shadow and despair yet insanely familiar. A combination of relief and terror washed over Thane as he stood up, drawing forth his swords.

"Malthazar," he said, a calm fury alight in the depths of his eyes as he turns to face the foe. "How are you here?"

Malthazar chuckled darkly at the question, knowing what Thane was trying to do with his trap.

"Death may be immobilised after the little stunt you pulled on Dragon Island, but you didn't manage to catch me in its grips," Malthazar said, smiling as he met Thane's steely glare.

"Darn, I was hoping to kill you in that blast," Thane said, using his rare sarcasm in an attempt to hide his shock. "So … how did a low lizard like you live?"

Now if anyone other Dragonborn was called a low lizard, they would've taken great offence at it. Being called a low lizard is a big insult when it comes to dragons and them. However, Malthazar just shook it off, chuckling almost insanely.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he answered, grinning madly. "Every fibre in my body is screaming at me. Unfortunately, I'm not here to exact revenge."

"Really, well I can't say the same," Thane replied, gripping his swords tighter. "I could kill you right now."

Thane stepped into his battle stance. He crouched lower, giving himself a bit more momentum to work with at the start. His left hand sword pointed straight up towards the sky whilst the right hand one was neck level, brought across in front of him. His eyes locked onto Malthazar, the fiery depths coming to the surface.

"You can try," Malthazar smirked, opening his hands out to his sides.

Black mist spewed forth from his hands, shifting and shaping into long, thin objects. When the visually impenetrable mist dispersed, two long black scythes were revealed in his hands. Their steely edges were bone white, while the rest of the blades were eternally black. The wooden sticks were as black as night and as strong as steel.

"I see you've begun to master Death powers," Thane observed, his voice steady. "Those are Spirit Slashers, if I'm not mistaken."

"Good to see you recognised them. That means you're not brain dead," Malthazar remarked, holding the scythes up for Thane to see. "It doesn't matter, though. You have no idea what these babies can do."

Malthazar then dropped into a battle stance almost identical to Thane's, just adapted to suit the scythes instead of swords.

"BRING IT ON!" Thane roared, charging at Malthazar.

"Glad to," Malthazar said as he did the same, both meeting somewhere in between their starting points.

Lightning clashed with Death as the two almighty powers faced off, slamming into each other with tremendous force.

* * *

_Village, Berk_

Hiccup flew up to the Great Hall, first thinking that if Stoick would be anywhere, it would be celebrating in the hall with the others. As he was about to touch down, he spotted Gobber walking cheerfully outside.

'_I should ask Gobber if he knows where my dad is,'_ Hiccup thought. '_If anyone will know, it will be him, plus it beats walking through everyone in the Great Hall if dad isn't there.'_

Gobber reacted with a start when the Night Fury dropped out of the sky, landing with a thud just in front of him.

"Don't worry, Gobber," Hiccup said, "it's just me."

"Oh, Hiccup," Gobber said, his hand over his chest. "I was wondering where you got to. We've got so much to catch up on."

"Some other time, Gobber," Hiccup said. "Right now I need to speak to my dad. Do you know where he is?"

"Stoick? He's at his house," Gobber answered.

"Strange … I would've thought he'd be celebrating with the others," Hiccup remarked.

"I think he just needs to clear his head. You leaving took its toll on Stoick, and how you returned wasn't how he would've expected a grand return from you to be," Gobber said. "Truth be told, I'm shocked too."

"Yeah, it's not how I expected things to turn out," Hiccup admitted. "Having an enemy come this way certainly wasn't part of the plan."

"Oh well," Gobber sighed, "You best go talk to your father. I won't keep you waiting."

"Thanks, Gobber. For everything," Hiccup said before taking off again, leaving Gobber to look at his dragon form flying off.

* * *

_Chief's House, Berk_

Stoick was sitting down in the living room, poking the lit fire as he delved deep into his thoughts. True, his son was alive and had returned, but he had now sided with those … those _devils_ … Now, a new threat has turned up, and if what those … _Dragonborn_ say is true, then it could be the end of them all.

'_Also … who's to say Hiccup won't just leave after this is all over?'_ Stoick wondered. '_What if he leaves again? Where will that put the rest of us?'_

Whilst his mind was shrouded and doubtful, the hot coals of the fire turning as the metal pike prods the flame, a gummy-grinning Night Fury bursts through the door. Stoick reacts immediately, grabbing his hammer and jumping to his feet, ready to strike. When he saw the artificial fin, he dropped the hammer, giving an irritated sigh.

"For Thor's sake, Hiccup! Don't startle me like that!" Stoick said sternly.

"Sorry, Dad," Hiccup apologised, looking down at the ground before breathing out his blue fire wall and transforming back into his normal form, "but I had something really important to ask you."

Stoick sighs as he slumps back into his seat.

"Anything, son," he replied. "What is it?"

"Ok … I need you all to stop killing dragons."

That request struck Stoick right through to his core, where no one dared intentionally strike. However, due to his … well, stoic nature, he didn't show it.

"What did you say?" he asked, clearly discombobulated, a hidden rage lit slightly.

"I know what you're thinking, Dad," Hiccup said, raising his arms up and showing his palms to Stoick. "I know they attacked us for years, but we don't have to fight them. They didn't choose to attack us, they were being controlled by a queen. But they can be befriended, just like me and Toothless."

"I-I just can't trust them, Hiccup," Stoick said, holding the bridge between his eyes.

"But Dad, they can be trusted," Hiccup pressed. "Besides, _you_ don't have to trust them. All I need are some volunteers willing to learn how to bond with a dragon. Then, you can decide whether or not to train them based on the results."

Stoick sighed with a heavy heart, weighing up the possibilities.

"Hmm … fine. You can have your volunteers, but good luck trying to find anyone around here crazy enough to ride a dragon," Stoick said, secretly curious about what could happen.

"Thanks, Dad. Don't worry, you won't regret-" Hiccup was cut off by a thunderous blast echoing out across the entire island, the village shaking with the force. The forces of lightning and thunder, coupled with that of an evil presence, charged the air.

"What in Odin's name was that?!" Stoick exclaimed, getting to his feet. However, Hiccup was already well ahead of him, shoving the door aside and running like the wind towards the arena.

'_That was definitely not natural. It came from the arena … Thane! Hold on, I'm coming!' _Hiccup thought as he changed into Toothless' form, flying faster than the wind to the killing ring.

* * *

_Training Arena, Berk_

_Kaboom!_

Another huge electrical blast collided with the arena as Malthazar and Thane's weapons clashed, the frenzy and mystical powers contained within each one charging the battle to deadly proportions.

"LIGHTING, STRIKE!" Thane shouted as his swords charged up, coursing with the power of a thunderstorm, before slashing furiously at Malthazar.

Malthazar jumped out of the way, causing Thane's twin swords to slam into the ground. A pillar of lightning struck where the swords hit, and a thunderbolt struck the side of the arena from the sky, as if Thor tried to join in the fight.

"DEATH, SLASH!" Malthazar yelled, sweeping both scythes in large arcs.

Thane dodged both, making one slam into the ground while the other created a dark energy slash that collided into the walls of the ring. Both impact zones turned into a deathly sort of black, rotting and decaying.

"Grr … you are really annoying. You know that?" Thane growled, spinning the left hand sword into a reverse hold and slashing again, attempting to strike them down.

Malthazar managed to dodge most of the slash, receiving only a minor cut along his arm.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he shouted, transforming into his Night Fury form and pouncing at Thane.

Thane tried to jump out of the way, but he was unsuccessful. He got rammed into the arena wall, leaving a large crumbling crater in his impact zone. Thane slumped over, looking defeated as he was stuck. Malthazar walked over to see if Thane had finally died, but in doing so he made a grave mistake. Thane transformed into his Night Fury form as soon as Malthazar got close enough, freeing himself from the wall, and firing a plasma blast at the Death manipulator. Malthazar just dodged, saving himself from the incinerating blast, but was caught off guard as Thane tackled him head on. They both tumbled towards the stone floor, Thane using the gaining momentum to his advantage by slamming Malthazar down, taking the wind out of him. However, he still managed to hurl Thane off him moments afterwards.

Both were forced to revert back to their human forms as they grew weaker in the chaotic duel between lightning and death. The arena looked like a warzone. Walls were cracked, scorched, some parts crumbling down. Black zones littered the floor and sides from Malthazar's Death Slashes, whilst burnt patches showed where Thane's Lightning Strikes hit, the metal bars and chains above them coursing with electricity. Malthazar slowly walked up to Thane, who was breathing heavily and sprawled on the ground.

"Now … you die," he said, grinning madly as he summoned his Spirit Slashers and raised them above his head, ready to strike Thane down.

The blow never came as a faint whistling sound was heard, followed by a powerful plasma blast from outside the arena. The shot hit Malthazar like a thunderbolt, the resulting explosion flinging him back and hitting the walls with a sickening crash. Smoke rose off him as he lay there, nearly incinerated from the fireball, coughing and hacking as he tried to breathe.

"What … what the *cough* … hell was that?!" Malthazar managed to say, gingerly getting to his feet.

From the skies, a Night Fury dropped into the arena and transformed, Hiccup stepping forward and standing over Thane, now sitting up, drawing _Liferend_ from his hip into his left hand and pointing its tip towards Malthazar.

"Get away from him," Hiccup said sternly as he watched Malthazar slowly get up.

"Who in *cough* … the name of … Odin *cough* are you?" he hissed, trying to draw breath into him.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Night Fury Dragonborn," Hiccup said as Thane stood up.

'_Darn, I was hoping that he wouldn't get involved,'_ Thane thought as he grabbed his swords off the cracked stone floor. '_The explosions must've drawn him here. Oh well, it's too late to worry about that now.'_

"So *cough* … you have … gotten yourself some … lackeys, Thane," Malthazar hissed, summoning his Spirit Slashers once more.

"Lackeys … no," Thane replied as all the other Dragonborn came up to the arena's observation area and looked in, followed by the entire village of Berk. Everyone's eyes fell upon Malthazar, Catherine looking at him with a sense of horror and somewhat longing.

"Friends and allies … yes," he finished, bringing his blades across him in a cross, lightning charging within them.

"Well, well … things just got real interesting," Malthazar remarked, his scythes turning back into black mist and then absorbed into him. "But as I said, I'm not here for you. I came with a message from Death … a message for you all."

"If all you came to do was deliver a message, why fight me?" Thane inquired.

"Meh, I wanted to see if I could kill you this time," Malthazar answered, smirking in a creepy fashion.

"Death says that though you're stunt may have immobilised him for now, he will be here in a week at most. Then you will die … each and every one of you. Also, he wants the stone."

"The stone?! It's here?!" Thane said, not bothering to hide his shock this time. "Where is it?!"

"Beats me. He's been looking for it," Malthazar replied. "Well, it's been fun and all, but now I'll take my leave."

"Whoa, what makes you think that we'll just let you leave after what you've done?" Hiccup asked, stepping forwards. "Just who are you?"

"Who am I? Who am I?!" he said, cackling. "Well, my ignorant friend, I am Malthazar Nightson … or as Thane better knows me, his other half!"

With that, Malthazar transformed into his Night Fury form and flew off while everyone stared aghast at Thane.

'_Things just got a whole lot more difficult,'_ Thane thought as he attempted to walk casually out of the arena unnoticed.

That plan failed as everyone rushed to the gateway, bombarding him with questions as he stepped out.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed out over the calamity, silencing everyone.

"I'll explain things later, not now," he announced, which was received with a lot of unsatisfied and impatient mumbling and arguing.

"Why not right now?" Spitelout sneered, pushing his way in front of the crowd. "Why do we need to wait?"

"Because Thane needs to rest," Catherine answered as she and the other Dragonborn pushed their way forwards and stood around Thane, preventing anyone getting closer. "You would want to rest too if you went through what he just did."

Spitelout opened his mouth to retort back, but Stoick chose to respond before he could.

"So be it," he said gruffly. "But we will want our answers."

"And you'll get them," Thane replied, before he and the other Dragonborn forced their way through the vast crowd. Catherine and the others put themselves around Thane and pushed their way through so Thane could pass through unhindered, Hiccup stepping out of the arena and stealthily joining the group without anyone noticing him.

* * *

_Dragonborn Camp, The Cove, Evening, Berk_

The Dragonborn walked back to their camp silently. A few wanted to ask Thane about what happened, but looking at how Thane was, they realised it was better and safer that they didn't. When reaching the camp, Thane walked straight into his tent and lay down while the others talked about what they should do. A couple got sent out to go hunt while the others stayed at the camp, either conversing with one another or lazing around the cove, in the water or by the tents.

A few hours later, Astrid stealthily came to the entrance to the cove, following what Hiccup had told her earlier about where they had set up. Peering in, she saw no one watching for any visitors, so she slowly crept towards the camp. As she reached the edges of the camp, she noticed a few people lying around, some awake and staring off into space, others asleep up against some of the tents.

The layout of the camp was exactly like how Hiccup said it was; three tents on the right and four on the left, each with a design to tell you who's was whose. The centre tent, Hiccup's and also the battle tent, with a large fire pit in front of it.

Astrid stealthily made her way over to the one Hiccup said was Thane's, but just before she could walk in, Hiccup intercepted her and took her into his tent.

"Where do you think you were going?" Hiccup asked her as soon as they were inside.

"I was … uh … looking for you," she lied, trying to look as genuine and innocent as possible.

Unfortunately for her, Hiccup didn't buy a single word of it.

"If you're wondering, Thane won't say a single thing about what just happened, nor will he speak about his past," Hiccup said, knowing what she was trying to do and realising she was trying to lead him away from her true goal.

"Oh, and he'll just readily tell you all about it?" she snapped, annoyed that she's getting the same talk as before.

"No … he won't say anything to us either," he replied softly, looking down slightly. If he was hurt by how she spoke to him, he didn't show it.

"Oh … Hiccup, I'm sorry," Astrid said, feeling bad for directing her annoyance at him.

"It's okay, Astrid," he replied, giving her a peck on the cheek and getting a stunned look in return. "I'm not hurt."

"When did you get so bold?" she asked, genuinely curious. The Hiccup she knew would never have the guts to do that.

"Eight years will do that to a man," he replied, both feeling a longing pang for the time since he left.

"I guess … Well, even if he won't tell you, I still have to try," she stammered, trying to recover from his action.

"Well then, I wish you the best of luck," Hiccup replied, giving her his signature grin.

A blush began to creep up Astrid's face as she hurried out of the tent, not wanting Hiccup to see. Making sure no one saw her again, she slowly opened the flaps of Thane's tent and snuck in.

'_Here goes nothing,'_ she thought as she entered the tent.

The first thing that struck her was that the entire room was surrounded with bookshelves, overflowing with books of many kinds. Ones on animals, ones on legends, ones on history, others on culture, but many in a style that she could not decipher. A couple of desks and tables were nearly covered in them, plus some scattered the ground. A map of Berk was laid out on a book-free space, different markings and colours used for different areas. A small chest was in the corner, by the foot of the bed. Now the bed had black covers, strange runes and symbols stitched into the furs. It also had an occupant … Thane.

Astrid froze when Thane muttered, but silently sighed when she realised he was still asleep. Slowly she crept around the tent, trying to find something that could be a sign of his past. She checked the books, the bookcases, the desk, the table. She checked just about everywhere and came up empty handed.

'_No! There must be something! Where is it?!' _she began to think, starting to become frustrated.

Astrid paced for a little bit, before her foot caught on something and she fell right in front of the bed. She looked up in fear of Thane waking up, but all he did was roll over in his bed, muttering words that she couldn't understand. Her head hit the dirt as she sighed in belief, before looking to see what she tripped up on.

'_What's this?'_

Looking at the object at her feet, she discovered it to be an old looking book, its cover torn and patched, with the title '_Journal'_ etched in silver along the spine.

'_This must be Thane's journal,'_ she thought as her eyes widened in excitement. '_This should tell me what I want to know!'_

Clutching the book as if her life depended on it, she hurried out of the tent and ran to a secluded part of the cove, devoid of others, and placed the book on the ground. She put her hand on the cover, trying to turn it and open the book, but it wouldn't budge an inch. She tried again and again, but to no avail.

"Thor, damn it! Why won't you open?" Astrid cursed, getting bitterer with each attempt.

As if the book heard her, grey symbols mystically appeared on the cover, creating a phrase.

_DEATH is only the beginning_

"Death is only the beginning?" she muttered, clearly confused by the message. "What could it mean?"

After pondering it for a bit and coming up with nothing, she scooped up the book and headed towards Hiccup's tent.

"Maybe Hiccup can figure it out," she said to herself. "Much as I don't want him to know, I need his help. Plus, I'm sure he got smarter over the time he was gone. Well … _smarterer."_

Astrid ran into Hiccup's tent, almost running into the boy as she burst in.

"Well, how did you go?" Hiccup asked, clearly knowing what Thane would've done. "Did Thane indulge you in his past?"

"No, he didn't," Astrid said, before holding up the book, "but look what I found!"

"What?!" Hiccup exclaimed. "That's Thane's journal!"

"I know it is. Problem is, I don't know how to open it," she complained. "It's locked by something. Can you please open it?"

"Sorry, Astrid, but I can't look at Thane's journal," Hiccup said. "It just wouldn't be right."

"Oh, come on. Please," Astrid begged, giving Hiccup a look that he just couldn't resist.

"Fine," he moaned. "I'll see what I can do."

Hiccup grabbed the book from Astrid and put it down on the table, reading over the inscription.

"Yay. Thanks, Hiccup," Astrid said cheerfully, leaning on Hiccup's back and kissing him on the cheek.

"Uh … ok … uh," Hiccup stammered as a blush spread on his cheek. "Uh … let's see. DEATH is only the beginning … hmm … Oh! I've got it."

"That was quick," Astrid said, surprised and impressed. "So, what is it?"

"You notice how 'death' is in capitals?"

"Yeah … I just thought that was a spelling error."

Hiccup shook his head. "No, magical phrases don't have spelling errors. I think the keyword to open this has something to do with death."

"Hmm … what about the Dragonese for death?" Astrid asked.

"Could be … but it would be way too easy," Hiccup pointed out, slipping deep into thought. "I wonder … no, it can't be … wait, hang on."

"What is it?" she asked. "Do you know the answer?"

"I think so," he replied as he leant close to the book. "Open. Keyword: Thanatos."

After 'Thanatos' was mentioned, the cover opened up, revealing the first page.

"How did you know that?" Astrid whispered, her gaze captured on the page.

"Well, Thanatos was apparently a representation of Death," Hiccup explained. "Thane was very interested in him."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's take a look."

Astrid fully focused on Thane's journal, while Hiccup was a lot more wary. He reluctantly looked at the page. Even though he was extremely curious about Thane's life, I felt really bad about peering in without his permission. However, Astrid was still drawing him in, even after eight years apart. With a sigh, he turned the page, taking them both into the past that Thane once had.

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffhanger ... oh well ...**

**First of all, no I haven't abandoned the concept of Hiccup being with Catherine. It just didn't suit the flow of this chapter.**

**So, people still seem to think they can attack the GMAD without consequence. In a few days time I'm posting up something to deal with this. I suggest you look out for it if you're interested.**

**Also, one more week of school for me ... *groan* Why, damn you, why?! Why couldn't holidays be now?! ... ****_Anyway, _****I'll have a lot more spare time soon, even if it is for a few weeks, so I'll try to get as many chapters as I can on both stories done.**

**Finally, I got to meet up with one of the GMAD today. I met Ace Spiritwell. She's a lovely person, sweet and kind, and she has a really good WTM fic. Please go check her out and post nice things.**

**That should be about all ... at least as much as I can think off in my tired state ...**

**Please remember to review. Also fav if you haven't done so already. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**Next chapter: Secrets of the Past.**

**That's all for now. Until next time ...**


	7. Secrets of the Past

**A/N: Hello to you all! New chapter is up!**

**So, this story has now passed 100 favs and 10,000 views. Thank you all kindly. I hope you all keep reading this for what it's worth.**

**I don't really have much to say, apart from the fact that I'm on holidays for another 5 or so days, so I'll be able to work on my stories a fair bit more. I'll say more on that later.**

**For now, I'll let you all enjoy the chapter. Here you go!**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own How to Train Your Dragon, nor the franchise. They belong to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks. I also don't own the OC's in this. That honour belongs to Incinerator1._**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Secrets of the Past**

_Hiccup's Tent, The Cove, Berk_

The pages of the notebook looked just like any other, but the words and symbols soon started glowing mystically. They then began to float off the page, forming in the air in front of Astrid and Hiccup. They both watched on wide eyed as the entries continued to form in front of them.

"What the …" Hiccup said surprised.

"This is incredible!" squealed Astrid, holding onto Hiccup's arm.

The words then swirled together, projecting into a visual image that moved as it lingered. It then drew Astrid and Hiccup inside the image, allowing them to witness the events recorded.

* * *

_Journal Entry 1_

_Village of Dek_

Astrid and Hiccup landed in a large farm resting on the outskirts of a village. Both were located on a group of rocky formations, looking like floating islands that rose high above the sea, each section connected by wooden and stone bridges. The farm had a big wooden barn, a small house made of wood and stone, and a large field with growing crops, yaks and sheep. Astrid and Hiccup look around themselves surprised.

"What is this place?" Astrid asks.

"I think we're in the journal," Hiccup replied. "It mustn't record writing … it records memories."

"Well then, be quiet," Astrid said, pushing Hiccup. "Let's watch."

**_'_****_I love this place,'_** a male voice that sounds nearly identical to Thane's echoes out through the sky.

"What was that?" Astrid asked, looking at Hiccup for answers.

"A better question would be who is it?" Hiccup replied. "It sounds akin to Thane, but … happier."

**_'_****_I love the sea, the sky and the rock that we live on,'_**the voice said.

The memory moved along to a little girl running around the farm. She had long, silky, black hair in a ponytail and a pretty face. Astrid and Hiccup were pulled to her, looking curiously at each other due to the last message.

**_'_****_That's my sister, Catherine,'_** the voice pointed out as she jumped up on a fence, smiling brightly.

"Catherine?!" they exclaimed.

"Is that really the same girl?" Astrid asked.

"It looks like it …" Hiccup answered.

Catherine was looking at a young man tilling the fields, which the two where then moved over to. He rose up and wiped the sweat off his brow, revealing a head of spiky jet black hair and a large grin as Catherine rushed off again.

"That can't be Thane … he never smiles," Hiccup said.

"Maybe something happened to stop that," Astrid suggested.

**_'_****_That's me, Thanatos,'_** the voice belonging to Thanatos said, dashing their thoughts out of sight.

"Thanatos?" Astrid asked. "Isn't this Thane's journal?"

"I guess not," Hiccup answered. "He was interested in a man called Thanatos after all, so he could've found this at some stage. But what I don't understand is why Thane would carry around someone else's journal … and why that guy is with Catherine if she's Thane's sister."

They held their questions and confusion as the voice continued to speak.

**_'_****_My sister and I live in the Village of Dek, but it is known by most as the floating village,'_** Thanatos said as Astrid and Hiccup were picked up, floating over and around the islands themselves. **_'_****_This makes sense, as the village was built up over the sea on the floating rock formations by our ancestors. From what we know, this village was built here for three main reasons.'_**

Hiccup and Astrid fly over the village, looking down to see one similar to Berk. Villagers wandered the buildings and village, cheerfully greeting each other in their peaceful time.

**_'_****_The first, it's well protected from attacks, meaning that we can go around our lives without much fear of invasion. The second, the rocks are filled with resources which let our crops grow plentifully even through the hardest of times. And the third …'_**

The village transitioned to night time, buildings alit in fierce flames and warriors running around with sharp weapons of iron and steel. Dragons flew through the sky and crawled along the ground, fighting with the villagers with flame and talons.

**_'… _****_was to slay dragons.'_**

"No …" whispered Hiccup as he watched the onslaught.

Astrid floated next to him and wrapped her arms around him as she watched on, Hiccup returning the gesture. The flashes of fire increased as dragons shot fireball after fireball, casting down the villagers from burns and cuts. They responded with bolas and nets, bringing them down and striking them when given the chance.

**_'_****_You see, the village is well protected from attacks by other Vikings and humans, but not from humans,'_** Thanatos explained as they hovered above a young man nearing his adulthood, grasping his sword and looming over a downed Stormcutter, weak and injured with a wing missing. **_'_****_The Deks have a certain taste, a hunger to kill the rarest and most powerful dragons. It's a rite of passage here.'_**

The young man rose his sword above his head, glaring at the Stormcutter as it looked fearfully at him. He smirked as he brought the blade down, slaying the dragon in cold blood **(no pun intended)**. Hiccup turned his head from the deed, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see it. Astrid gave him a firm squeeze, letting him know she was there, and flinching as the blade came down. She turned her head into Hiccup afterwards, her changing perspective altering how she now reacts with such an act.

**_'_****_Coincidently, many of the rarest dragons come here to steal food from us, thousands upon thousands since I could fight. They try to steal food, but the Vikings keep holding them back.'_**

Other rare dragons could be seen as Hiccup and Astrid continued their flyover, all fighting fiercely against the Viking villagers. One fight in particular saw eight Viking struggling to bring down a Snaptrapper, its four heads snapping at all of them. Meanwhile, Nadders and Gronckles could be seen flying off with a sheep or fish in their claws, though not many could reach the safety of the skies still carrying their cargo.

"It's just like Berk …" Hiccup said as he watched on, Astrid nodding slowly in agreement.

**_'_****_It's too dangerous for Catherine to be outside during the raids, so she waits in her room while I try and protect our parent's farm.'_**

Hiccup and Astrid return to the farm and see Thanatos with a sword in hand and shield on his arm, battling with a Nightmare engulfed in flames. He was fighting smartly, avoiding the flaming lashes and getting underneath it, bashing it with his shield. Before long, the Nightmare was fleeing away, leaving Thanatos huffing and puffing, catching his breath as he searched the farm for signs of other dragons. They could also see Catherine sometimes peering through her window, watching and admiring her brother fighting off the various dragons.

"I can't believe she got caught up in this all too …" Hiccup sighed as he looked at the young Catherine.

"Well, she at least could stay out of the firing line," Astrid joked, unable to help the pang of jealousy that stirred up. "She didn't go running around the village when she was told to stay inside."

"Oh, funny …" Hiccup said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as previous raids on Berk came to mind.

**_'_****_Even though some of the rarest dragons come here to raid, none is more renowned and valuable to kill than a …'_** Thanatos' voice began to say as a faint whistling cut through the air, growing louder with each second.

"NIGHT FURY!" cried a Viking in the village, loud enough to be heard from the farm.

"GET DOWN!" shouted another as the Night Fury fired its plasma blast, obliterating a building in a deadly blast. Thanatos watched the explosion from the farm, his eyes alit with a fiery determination.

The image closed in around the two youth as it swirled, changing as one entry ended and another began.

* * *

_Journal Entry 2_

_Thanatos' Farm, Village of Dek_

Astrid and Hiccup find themselves back at the farm, again at night, but with no dragons in the skies, no fires burning the village.

**_'_****_Well … tonight was shocking. No, that's an understatement … tonight had gone beyond sanity and belief,'_** Thanatos' voice said, making Astrid and Hiccup curious. **_'_****_I will never understand what I did this night, but I will record it in hopes of finding out.'_**

'_What could it be?'_ they both thought, looking at each other.

**_'_****_Last night, there were no dragon raids. Nothing that we needed to worry about … or so Cat and I thought.'_**

A strange whistling and the flapping of wings could be heard behind Astrid and Hiccup. They turned around and saw the outline of two dragons, one falling through the air, the other desperately trying to catch the first, both barely able to be seen against the night sky.

"Are those …" Astrid began, Hiccup finishing the question.

"Night Furies?"

**_'_****_I heard a loud thud outside my house, in the field. After debating, I decided to go outside and check, but not before telling Catherine to stay inside.'_**

Both Furies hit the ground, the one falling slamming into the field while the other landed safely before running to its companion, nuzzling it with his head. The door to the house opened up, light pouring out as Thanatos stepped out. He turned behind him and told a persistent Catherine to stay inside. She eventually gave in and walked inside, closing the door behind her.

**_'_****_When I saw what it was, I was shocked beyond all belief.'_**

Thanatos ran onto the field, his eyes going wide as he saw the cause of the noise. One of the Night Furies was standing in front of the other, snarling at him while in a crouched position, ready to pounce. The other Night Fury was lying on the ground, curled up slightly and whimpering.

**_'_****_I couldn't think clearly, so I did what any sane person would do. I drew forth my sword and prepared for battle.'_**

Thanatos drew his sword from his sheath on his hip, getting in a battle stance and staring down the Night Fury.

**_'_****_But then, looking at the pair, I did what no person would do. I threw my sword away.'_**

He then threw the sword away, his face softening as he saw that they needed help right away. The standing Night Fury calmed down a lot when the weapon was gone, though he still watched Thanatos warily.

"It's like Toothless and myself," Hiccup whispered.

**_'_****_And finally, I did what any insane Viking would do … I helped a dragon.'_**

Thanatos slowly started to walk towards the dragons, the one standing began growling at him again as he drew near.

"Hey, easy there, dragon. I'm not going to hurt you," Thanatos said softly, the Fury eyeing him curiously. "I'm not going to hurt you or your friend. I just want to help."

The Night Fury growled a little louder, trying to get Thanatos to back down.

"He's going to get hurt if he doesn't back down," Astrid said worried.

"Don't worry, Astrid …" Hiccup said, giving her hand a squeeze.

'_He knows what he's doing.'_

"Come on … I can see your friend is hurt, and I've got food and medicine back in the house where I can help him," Thanatos said, holding his hands up to show he was unarmed.

The dragon growled louder on the final word.

"Sorry … where I can help _her_," he repeated, correcting himself.

The correction calmed the protective Night Fury down enough so that he allowed Thanatos to get near the injured one. He carefully got it to her feet and, with the male Night Fury's help, moved her to the house.

"Ugh … you must weigh a lot," Thanatos groaned as he struggled with getting the female to the house. In response to the complaint, the male whacked Thanatos over the head with his tail.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he cried as he repositioned himself. "Just don't do that again. It's hard enough as it is."

The Night Fury just scoffed as they made it to the house, Thanatos leading them through the door and down into the cellar. When she saw the two dragons, Catherine ran out of the room, peeking with scared eyes from around the door. Astrid and Hiccup followed behind them, concerned for the injured Night Fury.

**_'_****_It did take a while, but I managed to get both Night Furies to my house and into the cellar. In there, I deduced that something was lodged deep into her arm and that it would take some tricky techniques to get it out.'_**

"Oh, boy … this is going to be tricky," Thanatos said, tentatively touching the wound, making the Night Fury hiss in pain.

"Something's lodged in there, and it seems to be working itself deeper into her," he said, looking at the male.

The male roared at him desperately, and though Thanatos couldn't understand what he said, his face conveyed the message. "_I don't care! Just help her!"_

"You really care for her, don't you?" Thanatos asked, getting a sharp nod from the dragon. He rubbed a hand over his head and stood up.

"At least it's not worse," Hiccup said.

"What would happen if it was worse?" Astrid asked.

"Well … I'd say it would be harder to help her without causing more damage to her already."

"Okay … I'm going to go get some things. This is going to hurt," Thanatos said to the female, who grunted at him through the pain.

**_'_****_I got some bandages, medicine and a few instruments in order to help her. The medicine to lessen the pain, the instruments to help get whatever was in her arm out and the bandages to dress the wound afterwards … and to bandage myself if anything went wrong.'_**

Thanatos began by cleaning the wound, before giving some medicine to the Fury. He then began trying to pull out whatever it was that was in her arm with his tools. The medicine didn't do much to lessen the pain, as Thanatos tried to steady himself due to the female thrashing about. The male jumped up and held her down, trying to keep her as still as possible to help Thanatos.

**_'_****_After several minutes of intense medical procedures, the object lodged in there was a strange kind of arrow. It had barbs that were meant to extend out once embedded in so that it would be difficult to pull out.'_**

Astrid and Hiccup peered over Thanatos to take a look at the arrow. It was snapped off halfway, yet it was completely metal and thicker than your usual arrow. They could see that the barbs hadn't extended.

"It's a good thing that those hadn't extended," Hiccup said. "Otherwise, it would've been much more painful than it was."

"Thank Thor," Astrid sighed.

The image then changed to Thanatos upstairs talking to a frightened Catherine.

**_'… _****_and it took me even longer to convince Catherine that the "monsters in the cellar" weren't going to eat her.'_**

"It's going to be fine, sis," Thanatos said, crouching down to Catherine's height. "They won't hurt any of us. They're good dragons."

She shook her head furiously, looking at her brother fearfully.

"There aren't good dragons," she cried. "Dragons destroy the village. They take our food."

The male Night Fury slowly walks up the stairs, peering curiously at Catherine. She backs away quickly … that is, until she backs into the wall. The dragon still keeps coming towards her, tilting his head at her.

"See? He's coming to eat me now!" Catherine squealed, pressing herself against the wall. "Brother! Please help!"

"He's not going to hurt you," Thanatos said, standing up as the Fury reached Catherine.

She started freaking out as the dragon looked curiously at her, sniffing her. She tried to press herself further against the wall, regardless of her not being able to do so. The dragon then started purring and nuzzling her with his head. She looked scared and surprised as he raised his head, staring at her with kind, green eyes. Catherine then giggled and scratched his head, making him purr and lean into her again, resulting in more giggles.

"You were saying?" Thanatos chuckled as he watched the two of them.

"Okay … maybe there are some good dragons …" she admitted as she patted the male Night Fury, the image freezing then and disappearing, giving way to the next entry.

* * *

_Journal Entry 3_

_Village of Dek._

Astrid and Hiccup landed in a scene just outside the house. Both Catherine and Thanatos were there, playing with the two Night Furies. The rest of the villagers where inside their houses, so there was no one coming down from the village to check on them.

"They seem to be getting on well," Astrid remarked, looking happily at the group.

"Of course … that's what each and every one of the people that I've met like this has done," Hiccup pointed out.

**_'_****_It has been two months since the two Night Furies landed in our field, and since then everything changed. I've seen and learnt more about dragons in the first few weeks than I ever would have in a hundred had I not met them. And I've seen and done things that Vikings could only dream of.'_**

Catherine and the male dragon tumbled around on the ground, Catherine giggling loudly. Thanatos and the female dragon both laughed as they watched the other two go at it.

**_'_****_I've grown attached to the dragon I helped. She is the most reliable and loyal friend I have on the island … apart from maybe Catherine. She, in turn, has also grown attached to the male Night Fury. They're practically family now, and I think they feel the same. Otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed behind. We decided to name the female Blackbolt, and the male Zaf.'_**

The memory changed to Thanatos flying through the air, riding atop Blackbolt.

**_'_****_I also got to do something that changed my view of dragons forever. I got to ride a dragon.'_**

"Woohoooo!" Thanatos howled as they zipped and zoomed through the floating rock formations under Dek. They swerved in and out of the way of the structures, sometimes barely skimming them as they whipped through at thunderous speeds.

**_'_****_Riding a dragon was the most exhilarating thing I've ever done, but unfortunately for Catherine, she's only nine. Her flying could be incredibly dangerous, so she can't experience this yet. But I have faith she will one day. Right now, it could mean her death, but not mine.'_**

"Whoa!" he shouted as they just missed a rocky arch stretching over from one formation to the next, Blackbolt rolling over so he wouldn't get hit.

"Whew … that was close," Thanatos sighed, before Blackbolt slaps his cheek with her ear.

"Ow … what was that for?" he asked as they zoomed towards a large stalactite that he hadn't seen yet. Blackbolt noticed it and roared loudly, trying to get him to focus on where they are going.

"What is i- Oh no," he said as he finally notices the stalagmite.

They both swerve to try and avoid the stalagmite, but they reacted too slowly. At the end of their routine, they both flew back home, each with a bruise over an eye.

Astrid stifled a giggle as she and Hiccup flew alongside human and dragon.

"I take it that didn't happen with you," Astrid said to Hiccup, trying to contain her laughter.

"Oh no … I got flung of Toothless' tail and sent skimming over the water," Hiccup replied, which resulted in Astrid bursting out in a laughing fit.

* * *

_Journal Entry 4_

_Thanatos' House_

The next memory starts off with Thanatos and Blackbolt walking towards a staircase that led to the attic. Catherine was outside doing a few jobs, Zaf helping her out.

**_'_****_It's now been around eight weeks since Blackbolt and Zaf landed in our field and we have fully accepted them as family. We have tried setting them free, but they didn't want to leave. So now they stay with us, as one big happy family. Life was good, nothing was going wrong … until one day, when I went up to clean the attic.'_**

"This must be it …" Hiccup muttered.

"This must be what?" Astrid asked him.

"Remember when I said Catherine ran away from Thane?" he asked, Astrid nodding. "Well, I'd say whatever happened here sparked it all."

Thanatos opened up the trapdoor in the ceiling and walked through, followed closely by Blackbolt.

**_'_****_I went up in the attic and, as expected, Blackbolt followed me up.'_**

Thanatos went to one side of the room while Blackbolt went to the other. They both started rummaging through the piles of stuff, picking out peculiarities that they spotted.

"Now be careful, Blackbolt," Thanatos said, Blackbolt turning around to look at him with a head tilted. "A lot of this stuff is our parents'. We don't want anything broken."

Blackbolt rolled her eyes and continued searching.

**_'_****_I shuffled some more boxes around, before Blackbolt began growling and then pounced on something.'_**

"Blackbolt! What are you doing?!" Thane shouted as he watched Blackbolt pick something up and bring it over to him.

"What did you find?" he asked as she placed the items in his hands, holding a round object and a long, thin one.

**_'_****_They just seemed to be ordinary objects. The first was a strange large orb, radiating a warm presence. The second, however, was a long stick-like object, wrapped in covers, which stank with a deathly aura. Strangely, there was a note attached to it, addressing it to Catherine.'_**

Thanatos picked up the note and looked at it, showing Hiccup and Astrid that it was indeed addressed to Astrid.

**_'_****_It seems to have meant to be a gift to her, but unlike any gift I had ever seen before. I decided to stop my cleaning mid-way and examine them both before giving Catherine the item in question.'_**

Thanatos took both items back downstairs and analysed them carefully, though he didn't remove the covers in case of any danger.

**_'_****_I had some serious doubts about giving it to my sister … until I saw who it was from. It was from our parents, slain in a dragon raid a few years back. Even though most of what we had were handed down from them, to have a gift was overwhelming. I figured that if it was from them, it wouldn't be anything dangerous. I couldn't wait to give it to Catherine …'_**

Thanatos looked out the window, where Zaf and Catherine were walking to their last chores.

**_'… _****_my first mistake …'_**

* * *

_Journal Entry 5_

_Thanatos' House_

The memory morphs into one where all four of the household are inside, Catherine with the covered stick in her hands.

"What's this?" Catherine asks, looking up at her brother.

"A gift," he answered. "One from mum and dad."

Her face lit up substantially as she began to tear apart the covers, showing no mercy to the fabric.

**_'_****_As I watched Catherine tear open the gift, I couldn't help but think that our parents were secretly deranged.'_**

Catherine stared wide eyed at the item in her hands. Instead of being a stick, it was a four foot long katana, a cracked skull ornament on top of the hilt. Red diamonds studded the black hilt back and front. The blade looked cracked and broken, worn and chipped in many places, yet extremely sharp and strong. Thanatos unwrapped the orb, revealing a gem-like stone around the size of his head. Covering the stone were strange blue runes that neither Thanatos nor Catherine could understand.

"That's the sword that Catherine uses now," Hiccup said, looking at the katana.

"So this is how she got it," Astrid remarked.

"What is that, brother?" Cat asked.

"I don't know … but if it's from mum and dad, then it must be important," Thanatos answered.

Just as he finished speaking, the stone began to glow in a pale light, the runes lighting up bright. Both Zaf and Blackbolt began growling, glaring at the stone.

"What's going on?" Cat asked fearfully, grabbing the katana and standing next to Zaf.

"I don't know," Thanatos answered as he leant closer to the stone.

**_'_****_I had absolutely no idea what the stone was capable of, or what it was. So I chose to investigate further … my second mistake.'_**

Just as Thanatos reached out and was about to touch the stone, it emitted a bright blue light, casting it towards us, that momentarily blinded Thanatos and Catherine. They both yelled as their dragons shrieked, taking up a defensive position. When it dispersed and they were able to see, a shadowy black mist rose out of the stone, forming in front of the four of them.

"_I … am … FREE," _sounded a voice in the mist, chilling them all right to the bone, Astrid and Hiccup included. It solidified in front of them, becoming a frighteningly tall man with a black tattered cloak and fear-inducing armour.

"No … not him …" Hiccup whispered, his voice gone. Astrid clutched to him, frozen in fear.

"Who … who are you?" Thanatos sputtered weakly, making the dark man look at him.

"_I am Death!" _he announced, his voice literally sucking the life out of the room and leaving a cold despair in its wake. He then pointed at Thanatos. "_And you … you are the blood of the pure."_

"Blood of the what?" he asked, his voice gradually getting stronger.

"_Ah … I forgot in the years sealed away … you puny humans contain no knowledge whatsoever. No matter … I have no more use of you."_

With those words, Death grabbed Thanatos by the neck and hurled him through a wall. He smashed straight through, as if it was paper, and landed in a large pile of rubble near the wall of the next room. Thanatos coughed, his head spinning out of control as blood poured out of his forehead.

"THANATOS!" Cat screamed, Zaf and Blackbolt leaping at the man in anger at the strike.

With a mere flick of his wrist, Death deflected their double onslaught, spiralling them into another wall and breaking that one down. They got up wincing, keeping one paw off the ground and shaking their heads.

**_'_****_That strike did more to me than I thought it would. It broke one of my arms and about three of my ribs. Luckily, due to the strength of their scales, Blackbolt and Zaf received some bruises and one broken leg each.'_**

"_You humans are pathetic … you can only take so much before you break completely,"_ Death chuckled evilly, eying the only remaining unharmed one in the room, Catherine.

"St-stay a-away f-from me …" Catherine stuttered, holding the katana shakily in front of her.

"_Well, this is a rather odd spectacle," _Death mused. "_A small child, wielding one of the most powerful weapons ever created. Come on then, child. Take your best shot."_

Catherine roared out as she ran forward, swinging the ancient blade at the powerful man. He sidestepped the attack, laughing mockingly at the attempt. She swung again and again, each time missing or having the attack deflected before it reached its mark.

"_Hahahahahah!" _Death laughed. "_A pathetic and feeble attempt."_

He reached down and grabbed her throat, raising her feet off the ground as he tightened his hold. Thanatos regained his senses, bringing himself to look at his sister twice her height off the ground, slowly losing her breath.

"CATHERINE!" he shouted, watching in horror.

"_Ha ha, let's see how much this little one can take before her neck snaps," _Death said, slowly closing his grip on her.

"No! Catherine!" Hiccup shouted uselessly, Astrid watching in silent horror.

"Th-than-a-t-tos …" Catherine whispered as her life was slowly being choked out of her.

Thanatos looked in the eyes of his sister, seeing her life fading in front of him. He took some deep breathes, a sudden fire engulfing him and lighting his fury within.

**_'_****_I felt my anger swell within me, taking over and replacing my pain. I shot up and charged at Death, tackling him with my good arm, making him relinquish the hold on my sister and putting my life back in danger.'_**

"_Get away from me, you insect,"_ he growled as he forced Thanatos off him before punching him in the chest, breaking another of his ribs.

Thanatos began coughing up blood, giving Death an opportunity to reach down and grab his throat, bringing him off the ground like he did with Catherine.

"_Now you meet your end,"_ he growled, slowly crushing Thanatos' windpipe as he struggled to get free of the iron grip, gasping for what air he could get.

**_'_****_While I was slowly dying, Catherine was letting her emotions consume her. She had grabbed the sword and it was reacting to her emotions'_**

Hiccup and Astrid tore their eyes from Thanatos and Death to look at Catherine. She was indeed overwhelmed by her feelings, tears springing from her eyes full of sorrow, fear and rage. A light grey light surrounded the katana, growing brighter the stronger her emotions got.

"Oh no … I've seen this before …" Hiccup whispered.

"When?" Astrid asked hoarsely.

"Just after we met her … she was still a bit unstable and … well, you'll see."

"LET GO OF MY BROTHER!" Catherine cried, closing her eyes as she swung the katana through the air, her emotions having been channelled in the sword and unleashing a grey energy slash, which charged towards Death.

"_What?!" _Death cried as he let go of Thanatos and jumped out of the way.

Thanatos landed and rolled to a safe distance from Death, now closer to Cat than the powerful man.

"_So, you learnt how to use the Soul Cleaver,"_ Death said as he dove out of the way of another energy slash sent from Catherine.

She unleashed a third energy slash at Death, who stood still with a sense of confidence.

"_Let's see how you handle this,"_ he marked as he deflected the final energy slash back at Catherine, who was unable to move.

**_'_****_I could see that she wouldn't have a chance to avoid her redirected attack, and that I only had moments to reach her.'_**

Hiccup and Astrid looked at Thanatos. He was looking at Catherine with fear in his eyes, but it was soon replaced with determination.

**_'_****_So I did what any good brother would do …'_**

Catherine was frozen, petrified as her own attack rocketed back towards her. But instead of the energy hitting her …

**_'… _****_I pushed her out of the way and took the attack.'_**

Thanatos shoved his sister out of the way at the last moment, putting himself in the direct firing line.

**_'_****_Time seemed to slow down in those final moments with Catherine …'_**

True to those words, the memory itself slowed down as well. Thanatos seemed to turn in mid-air as Catherine slowly fell to the ground.

"Br-brother …" she whispered with wide eyes as she looks at Thanatos. He gives flashes her a smile … the last smile Catherine would get to see him give.

The energy slash strikes Thanatos and engulfs him in a grey blast, surrounding him completely. But, instead of Thanatos flying out, two identical 'Thanatos' flew out in opposite directions. One flew beside Death, landing with a thud and a groan. The other flew across to the massive pile of rubble from the destroyed house, disappearing within the destroyed pieces.

"Brother!" Catherine cried with tears in her eyes as she ran over to the one half buried in wood, stone and furniture. Blackbolt and Zaf hobble over to him also.

"_Hmm … this one is still alive,"_ Death notices as he looks at the one at his feet. "_He could still be useful. Besides, I've got what I wanted anyway."_ With that, he picked up the one at his feet and sprouted big black dragon wings, flying away from the destruction.

"Brother, hang on," Catherine said as she pulled the rubble off his body, dragging him out of the pile.

Many wounds and gashes littered Thanatos' body as he was dragged out. Zaf and Blackbolt looked sadly at the brother and sister. They cooed and purred at each other, before Zaf gently nudged Catherine off her brother. With her out of the way, with pity for him and gratitude for saving Blackbolt, they both breathed a slow blue flame over him. Catherine gave with a start before she noticed the wounds healing, and before long he woke up. All the wounds had been healed and disappeared, except one … a great big silver scar through his right eye.

"Ugh … what happened?" he groaned, rubbing his head.

"You were injured from the blast, Thanatos, but Zaf and Blackbolt healed you," Cat answered with a sad smile.

"Thanatos? I'm not Thanatos … I'm Thane," he replied, looking at Catherine strangely.

"Wha-what are you talking about, silly?" she said, laughing nervously. "You're Thanatos, remember?"

"No … I'm pretty sure my name's Thane. Why do you keep calling me that?" replied Thane.

"No … no, no …" Cat said, looking at her brother, if that's what he still was, before breaking down on the floor. Zaf and Blackbolt hobbled over to Cat and tried to calm and comfort her, occasionally casting Thane a sad look.

With this final event fixed firmly in Astrid and Hiccup's minds, the memory run finally comes to an end, the visions disappearing into nothingness and returning them to the real world.

* * *

_Hiccup's Tent, The Cove, Berk_

Hiccup and Astrid were relinquished from the journal, standing once more where they were before it sucked them in.

"Whoa …" Astrid said after a few moments of silence, both still trying to take in what happened.

"Yeah …" Hiccup said, still looking at the journal. "It's a lot to take in."

"So … I guess this means that Thane and Thanatos are the same person … right?" Astrid asked, slightly confused.

"For once, Astrid … I don't know," Hiccup moaned. "I don't know what most of that meant right now."

"Well then, maybe I can clarify for you," said a familiar voice behind them. They both stiffened and slowly turned around, their eyes falling upon Thane leaning up against the pole in the centre of the tent, his arms crossed.

"Thane … they both said breathlessly.

"Uh … Thane, w-we d-didn't mean to …" Hiccup stuttered, before Thane cut him off.

"You think you can steal my- no … _his_ journal, look at his secrets and get away with it unnoticed?" Thane asked icily, his steely gaze and cold yet fiery eyes fixated themselves on Astrid and Hiccup. Both were so frightened that they didn't dare answer.

"I should tie you both up together, put you in a catapult and fire you at Death the moment he shows up in range," Thane threatened, taking a step towards them and making them back up into the table.

Astrid was hiding slightly behind Hiccup, gripping tightly onto his hand and taking small, short breathes.

'_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all,_' she thought. _'__Now because of me, Hiccup's going to pay the price.'_

Thane glared at them for a bit, both fearing that their lives were now over, before his angered face melted, replaced by his calm, unemotional one.

"But I'm not going to," he said, making both Astrid and Hiccup sigh in relief, unable to believe their luck. Hiccup ended up falling to the ground because of it, dragging Astrid down with him because of her vice grip. They both chuckled nervously at each other before turning back to Thane.

"Please tell me you're not joking," Astrid asked, still looking a bit scared.

"I'm not," he replied, Astrid sighing again and slumping back against a table leg.

"I'm only going to explain what the journal didn't," Thane said, pulling up a seat and sitting down. "An hour or so after Death flew off and dear young Catherine stopped crying, she explained everything that happened. We then decided to leave Dek, as there was nothing else for us there. The villagers had by then found out about Blackbolt and Zaf as well, so that made our escape all the more difficult. We also decided that if we were going to leave, we would be taking most of our family's belongings with us, which is when I found that journal sitting on your table in the remains of the attic."

They both took a glance towards the tabletop before returning their look on Thane, who continued the story.

"As Catherine and I were flying away, we eventually dozed off somewhere over the waters. In our sleepiness, Blackbolt and Zaf managed to fly us to a cave on Dragon Island, the same that you met me in, Hiccup. When we woke up, we saw that we were lying in an ancient Dragonborn library. While in there, I learned all the knowledge of the Dragonborn and the stages of bonding, afterwards performing the final stage transformation on Catherine and myself. Cat bonded with Zaf, and I with Blackbolt. I also learnt what Death meant by 'pureblood.' It means the original Night Fury, the true son or daughter of lightning and death itself … or more specifically, our mother and father."

Hiccup and Astrid's eyes widened at this, but they politely waited for Thane to finish his story.

"This I know because I learnt how to speak Dragonese, before asking Blackbolt if she knew. I even tested my blood, and it was positive. But there is a problem associated with this. The pure blood was Thanatos, but when he split into the two pieces, Malthazar and myself, we each took half of the pureblood. Malthazar is the son of Death, while I am the son of Lightning," Thane explained. "His personality and emotions were also split. I got his cold anger and calmness, but also his kind heart and mercy. Malthazar got the cheerfulness and excitement, but he is also cruel and vile. We can both channel our energy into our weapons like Cat does with her Soul Cleaver, me with my Sky Breakers, and Malthazar with his Spirit Slashers. Finally, the gifts. Cat's weapon that our parents gave her is called the Soul Cleaver, as it can literally tear your soul in half like with Thanatos. Also, the stone is no ordinary magical stone. It is a prison designed to hold Death's minions, think of a prison for lesser clones of Death."

That last note stunned Hiccup and Astrid. They had seen what Death himself could do.

'_What could an army of Death clones do that one couldn't?' _Hiccup thought to himself.

"Why were they all imprisoned?" Astrid asked.

"Well, you wouldn't want a bunch of magic-powered overlords, king slayers and tyrannical rulers roaming the world, now would you?" Thane asked.

"Point taken … but why not kill them as well?"

"Because that's the one thing I haven't found," Thane moaned. "I don't know how to kill them … at least without sacrificing yourself, though I do have a couple of ideas."

"So that's what Death is coming here for … he wants to free his minions," Hiccup deduced. "You told me that he was here to kill us."

"He was, and he still is," Thane pointed out. "His main goal, on the other hand, will most likely have gone from killing us to freeing the other Deaths."

"Well this has certainly made things more difficult," Hiccup remarked, as they glanced towards the flaps of the tent, what seems like their inevitable deaths looming outside on the horizon.

"Well, that should be everything," Thane said as he stood up, going over to the table and closing the journal. He then picked it up and walked out of the tent, but not before turning at the two still sitting at the base of the table.

"I don't think I have to say this, but don't mention what you saw or what I said to anyone," he warned, a coldness settling in his eyes. "If you do, I may not be as forgiving as today."

With that he left, the thought of what he could do if they said anything scaring them stiff. After a moment, they looked at each other and got up off the ground.

"Well, that was an interesting experience, wasn't it?" Hiccup asked, chuckling slightly.

"It was," Astrid agreed. "Now I know that next time someone wants to keep quiet about their past, I'm not going to pry. It's not worth it."

"True," Hiccup laughed as he held the flap open for Astrid, letting her go out first.

"Unless, of course, it's you," Astrid said, giving Hiccup a sly grin.

"Well, mi'lady, you will have to do a good job," Hiccup joked, looking at the setting sun. "You'd best head back. It'll get dark soon and people will be wondering where you've got to."

Astrid looked sadly at the sunset, wishing that the day could last longer. "I guess you're right," she whispered before turning around and kissing Hiccup on the cheek, giving him a warm hug afterwards.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she whispered.

"Yeah … I'll see you tomorrow," he muttered, letting her go. He watched as she checked to make sure no one was watching before she ran out of the camp, taking the path out of the cove and heading back to Berk. He stayed watching where she went for a few seconds more before walking back into his tent, contemplating all that he had just found out. Unbeknownst to him or Astrid, someone was watching them … someone who was now fearful about what they now know.

'_So … Astrid's plan succeeded,' _Catherine thought, watching from the shadows of the cove. '_She finally knows about my past … and she can go after me with that. And Hiccup knows too … I don't know how to feel about that. I almost wanted him to know … but I wanted to tell him myself. Now I'm vulnerable … and I'm scared because of it. Oh, Thane, how could you be so careless?!'_

She walks out of the shadows and looks at Hiccup's tent longingly.

'_Now … he's the only one that can help me … I need to speak with him. He needs to understand …'_

Cat walked up towards Hiccup's tent, but she froze just at the front of it. She began hesitating, doubting her decision.

'_No … no. I can't do this … Yes, you have to … No, no, I can't. I- I don't want him to worry … He can help. He always does …'_

Her thoughts went back and forth like this until she managed to come to a decision.

_'__Fine … I will tell him, but not now. I'll do it soon …'_ she thought as she walked away, instead entering her tent and flopping straight onto her bed.

_'… __and then maybe I can tell him how I feel about him.'_

* * *

**A/N: So there you are ... another one bites the dust.**

**So, in terms of holiday stuff for me, I will try to work through as many chapters as possible for both my stories. I'm wanting to try and get a chapter uploaded each day. But Odin knows that I can't keep a set time when it comes to writing a story, so I'll get as close as I can to the mark. So, you can keep an eye out for my 'Watching the Movie' fic if you want, too.**

**Also, I've got one more chapter left of Incinerator's chapters to work with, then I can start working this out my way. _Well ..._ I say one. I may show someone what I mean, depends on the reviews.**

**Speaking of which, if you're familiar with my stories, you know the drill. If not, or if you've forgotten, please review and fav if you haven't, even if you can speak to me through other methods. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**Finally, you can PM me if you need help with anything. Stories, life, people, or even if you just want to talk. I don't mind.**

**Next chapter: Time to Train.**

**So ... unless there's anything else, I'll see you all later. Adios!**


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